EDO3876 - Channons Garage, High East Street, Dorchester; evaluation Trench 1

Exeter Archaeology undertook an archaeological evaluation excavation during January 2001 at Channon’s Garage, High East Street, Dorchester, in advance of redevelopment for mixed residential and retail use. Seven trenches were excavated by machine. Trench 1 measured 10m x 1.5m in plan and was aligned approximately N-S, along the western boundary of the development area. It was excavated to a general depth of 1.4m with two machine excavated sondages extending to 2.5m. These sondages encountered an undisturbed clay subsoil (thought to overlie natural chalk) at a depth of 2.28m. The upper two metres of deposits were post-medieval in date, including the upper levels of a well (thought to have been in use in living memory) and demolition rubble. A charcoal-rich layer was encountered at a depth of 2m, it contained no dateable artefacts but was thought to be similar to a Roman demolition layer enountered in Trench 3. This layer overlay the natural subsoil.