SDO9669 - Land at The White Hart Public House, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation

Machine excavated trial trenches located within the forecourt and enclosed rear yard of the White Hart pub in Dorchester revealed extensive modern and post-medieval disturbances in the SE corner of the site, and extensive modern services across the rest of the site to a depth of 0.5m. Between and below these disturbances stratigraphically complex deposits and structures of Roman and Post-medieval date survive. Some of these may be connected with the foundation of the Roman town, such as mortar mixers and possible road surfaces. These are interleaved with well stratified soils including a palaeosol and a possible alluvial flood deposit. Small quantities of artefacts were recovered, compared to other sites in Dorchester, suggesting that the site was not close to areas of prolonged activity.