SDO12381 - Rainbarrow Farm, Dorchester, Dorset. Anaerobic Digester Project. Archaeological Evaluation Report.

‘Wessex Archaeology was appointed by the Duchy of Cornwall to undertake an archaeological evaluation on land for a proposed development at Rainbarrow Farm, Dorchester, Dorset, centred on National Grid Reference (NGR) 486125 104028. The proposed works involve the construction of an anaerobic digestion and power generation plant close to farm buildings associated with Rainbarrow Farm. The works also comprise the construction of an access road and a service corridor to connect the plant to an existing engine house on the eastern side of the Dorchester by-pass. The archaeological works involved the excavation of 20 evaluation trenches (ten 30m x 2m and ten 10m x 2m). Agreed contingency allowed the excavation of an additional 17m trench as well as the extension of Trench 2. The field work was undertaken from the 25th to 29th October 2010. The evaluation identified very limited evidence for archaeological remains. Only a single ditch was noted as being archaeological in nature and matches a similarly aligned feature seen on aerial photographs. Possible evidence for a 20th century radio mas station, known local as the ‘Dorchester Beam Station’ was also noted in the form of redeposited natural chalk recorded in Trench 2. The compacted deposits may relate to the locations of aerials or associated superstructures.’