EDO4521 - BT Cable Trench along the South Side of Bridport Road, Dorchester; excavation 1994

A small excavation was undertaken and observations made along along a BT cable trench along the south side of the Bridport Road. A 2x1m hand-cut trench was excavated for the new telephone junction box, at SY 6875590528, in front of no. 24 Bridport Terrace. Inhumations were recorded in the 1880s in building the houses. However, only 18th-19th century cuts into the old 'turf line' were recorded here. Further along the cable trench between Albert and Cornwall Road, 2m deep black soils were recorded containing oyster shells and a fragment of BB1 flanged bowl were recovered. These soils were recorded as far as Cornwall Road and are unlikely to represent the defensive ditches for the Roman town.