SDO9755 - Dorchester, Wollaston House, Durngate Street. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

Excavations were resumed at Wollaston House in late August 1949. The aims were limited to the tracing of the probable Roman Street. A straight alignment of 50 yards of the street was traced and sectioned in two places; one near the Icen way wall, and one close to the trees bordering the houses of Wollaston Road. Its continuation between the 1948 excavations was confirmed through probing. Two parallel 18th century wall foundations may have belonged to buildings fronting on Icen Way and depicted on the Hutchins map. 18th century road metalling may similarly relate to a road joining Icen way on this map. The Roman road had been destroyed by the 18th century buildings. The Roman road was 16 feet wide, cambered and comprised a surface of cemented flints and gravel above a foundation of heavy flints in sandy clay resting on natural chalk. It remained in use until the later 3rd century at least. It was aligned approximatley SW-NE, not on the expected grid plan.