Monument record MDO18612 - Colliton Park, Dorchester; Roman Building IV

The remains of a small Roman building were exposed in the SW part of Colliton Park during excavations in 1937 and 1938. Building IV comprised a rectangular block aligned roughly E-W and divided into three rooms, with a porch on the middle of the south side. The walls of the building were generally well-preserved, except for the porch. They were well-constructed with courses of herring-bone flint or coursed limestone and limestone quoins. The floors were generally fairly poor, constructed of chalk and patches of mortar. An infant burial with a coarseware pot was found beneath the western internal partition wall. A number of earlier features, including an oven were found beneath this building. This building was thought to have been built in the 3rd century and continued in use through the fourth century. Its precise function was not determined.

The remains of a small Roman building were exposed in the SW part of Colliton Park during excavations in 1937 and 1938. Due to the outbreak of World War II, the excavations were never completed or written up. The following account is based on the interim report <3> and the Royal Commission Inventory entry <5>. The complete plan of a small Roman building, comprising a rectangular block aligned roughly E-W and divided into three rooms, with a porch on the middle of the south side was exposed. Another fragmentary wall was found immediately to the west, but its relationship to this building is not recorded. The walls were well-preserved and survived to a height of 0.75m, except for the porch, where only the lowest course remained. The walls were well-constructed of courses of herring-bone flint or coursed limestone and limestone quoins. The south wall was faced externally with limestone. The internal walls were more irregular. None of the walls had any evidence that they were originally plastered. The western room had a rough floor, apparently using the natural chalk surface in the south and in the north it had been levelled up with chalk and mortar. It contained no internal features, but there was an infant burial with a coarseware pot beneath the internal partition wall. The central room had a floor comprising patches of mortar on a hard-packed chalk surface. In the two southern corners of the room there were two small rectangular stone bases built roughly of limestone with traces of burning on them. A third small stone base was found against the north wall , but this was not burnt. A number of earlier features, including a possible robbed-out oven were found beneath the floor of this room. The eastern room the floor comprised a layer of mortar with a packed chalk surface above. The remains of an earlier oven lay beneath the northern end of this room. This building was thought to have been built in the 3rd century and continued in use through the fourth century. <5> (Centred at SY 69009090) Six Roman buildings found in Colliton Park, by Lt. Col Drew and Mr. Collingwood Selby prior to the erection of a new County Hall. Building 4, was of three rooms with well preserved flint and limestone walls, and roughly floored. Probably a 3rd century building deliberately destroyed in the 4th century. (3-5)

Record last edited

Mar 10 2024 5:28PM