EDO4531 - 58/60 High West Street, Dorchester; excavation 1989

Wessex Archaeology conducted a small scale excavation during July and August 1989 at the rear of West Dorset District Council offices prior to the granting of planning permission for an extension to the offices. Two trenches were excavated by hand in the back gardens of 36 Glyde Path Road and 17 Colliton Street. The trench at the rear of 36 Glyde Path Road contained the footings of a 19th century brick building, a shallow pit dating to the 1840s to the south of it, a stone lined 18th century well in the west part of the trench, and a small number of probably 17th century post-holes. Roman features included a shallow late Roman gully, a small number of post-holes and stake-holes, and a large rectangular rubbish pit containing 742 fragments of painted wall plaster, probably of 4th century date. The post medieval activity had severely truncated the Roman deposits and completely removed the medieval deposits. The trench at the rear of 17 Colliton Street contained remnants of late post-medieval building footings and sherds of 12th-14th century date.