EDO4217 - Old County Hospital Site, Dorchester, Excavation Area A/B

Excavations of two areas at the Old County Hospital site in Dorchester were undertaken by AC Archaeology during the spring of 1999. This comprised the excavation of two areas, A/B to the south and C to the north, as well as a subsequent watching brief. The largest excavation area - A/B, located just to the north of Somerleigh Court - covered an area of approximately 35m x 15m and excavations uncovered evidence for two adjacent, but separate, Roman buildings which had at least 4 phases of use, and appear to have been modified and re-styled over a period of around 200 years. To the west of these buildings was an area which contained a deep hillwash type soil, which was both cut by and sealed Romano-British archaeological features. The features cutting the soil which - based on the associated pottery evidence - are likely to be broadly contemporary with the two stone structures, include a compacted chalk pathway leading to a stone-lined well and a large rubbish pit. Also in this area there is evidence for what may prove to be earlier Romano-British occupation (1st century AD), where a large storage pit and a number of post-holes have been identified.