EDO3757 - Former Hardye's School, Barnes Way, Dorchester; Trench 4

An archaeological field evaluation of former playing fields and land adjacent to the former Hardye’s School, Dorchester, was conducted by AC archaeology during September and October 1996 in advance of development of the site for housing. A total of 14 machine-excavated trenches were dug, comprising an approximate 2.7% sample of the 7.88 ha of proposed development. Trench 4 was aligned approximately N-S and measured 80m long, with a short E-W extension to the east at its north end. The north end contained a NE-SW aligned Roman or post-Roman field ditch (1.6m wide, 0.25m deep, rounded profile) which contained a single sherd of worn Roman pottery in its lower fill and medieval pottery in its upper fill. The ditch was seen to continue into the short eastern trench extension. It also had a pair of E-W aligned double ditches at the southern end, at least one set could be seen to continue into trenches 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. A further E-W aligned gully of uncertain date was revealed at the north end of the trench.