EDO3887 - St Genevieve's Convent, South Walks, Dorchester; Evaluation Trench 1

Wessex Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation of land within the grounds of St. Genevieve's Convent, South Walks, Dorchester. The evaluation comprised a combination of both geophysical and auger surveys, and the excavation of 8 machine cut trial trenches, each measuring 20m x 1.6m in plan. The results of the auger survey and trial pits combined to identify the middle and outer defensive ditches for Durnovaria, as well as the counterscarp bank. The chalk counterscarp bank was examined in detail in Trench 1 and was seen to comprise at least two phases of construction with a secondary bank deposited against the outer face of a primary bank. A buried soil was recorded beneath the counterscarp bank. No other features of archaeological significance were identified within the evaluation area. Trench 1 was located immediately east of the tennis courts in the northern part of the site, aligned approximately NNW-SSE. It was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.77m onto natural chalk at the southern end and 1.38m+ at the northern end where the defensive ditches and counterscarp bank of the Roman Town were encountered.