EDO4376 - 50-51a Icen Way, Dorchester; observations and recording 1965

The trenching for a new block of shops at 50 and 51a Icen way was observed by Christopher Sparey Green during 1965 [1]. The RCHME mention these observations in association with Roman building monument number 203 [3]. Monument 203 is c. 90m east of this site and their association minimal in reality. Indications of a Roman Building, perhaps with a robbed wall running N-S, were seen some 50ft NW of the Hardye's site [2], on the W side of the road. The trenching for the new block of shops was mostly shallow, but the deeper trench on the shop frontage 7.5ft back from the kerb was cleaned down for recording by the kind permission of the contractors. The east side of a vertical-sided trench or pit was at least 1.5ft wide and over 2ft deep was traced northward in a straight line for 5ft, as far as the exposure allowed; it contained black soil and limestone rubble, and was thought to indicate a robbed wall. The stratification on the E side of this feature included a layer of limestone rubble at a depth of 2.5 to 3ft, a 6in layer of plaster and painted plaster rubble, and a 12in thick layer of dark soil below, with occupation debris, samian and coarse pottery. Below these layers, towards the N end of the excavation, a chalky soil continued to at least 5.5ft below surface contained sherds of well made buff or cream ware flagons similar in fabric to the mid-1st century products of the Corfe Mullen Kiln, and a sherd of Samian form 27 cup kindly identified by Mr. B. R. Hartley as of Neronian or early Flavian date. At a similar depth, to the south, there were compacted layers of ash, plaster and clay roof-tile fragments.