SDO9460 - Watching Brief at the site of the Forum Centre, Trinity Street, Dorchester

Wessex Archaeology undertook a programme of archaeological observations and recording between January and June 1994, on the site of the former Wadham Stringer Garage in Trinity Street during groundworks for the construction of the Forum Centre. Part of a corridor with tesselated floor was found running east-west, which included the previously discovered tesselated surface. Some purple painted wall plaster remaining on wall. Further series of stone walls and chalk and mortar floors were revealed to the northwest. Further west, traces of another Roman building were exposed, including stone walls with purple painted wall plaster and a tesselated floor. Probably several phases of flooring in buildings. These remains were probably part of a substantial late Roman townhouse. Immediately to the south was a large chalk-cut terrace running east-west, which may also be Roman in date.