EDO4257 - Fordington Farm, Dorchester; evaluation

The Duchy of Cornwall commissioned Wessex Archaeology to conduct an archaeological evaluation of land to the south and west of Fordington Farm , prior to the sale of the land for development. The work took place between May and October 1986. The area of a proposed new sports field was subject to geophysical survey, earthwork survey, testpitting and evaluation excavation. The remains of a Bronze Age round barrow of three identified phases was identified together with a number of possible Roman features and medieval field earthworks. A number of test pits measuring 1m x 1m were dug in two traverses across the western field and in a long traverse from the Alington Excavations south to the base of the combe, where a large trench was cut to acertain the depth of colluvium at the lower end of the slope, which was slight. These ploughsoil pits were seived with 4mm mesh to identify the distribution of artefacts across the ridge, in particular the lithic component.