EDO4575 - 21 North Square, Dorchester; observations and recording 1977

Peter Woodward observed the excavation of service and wall footing trenches during the construction of an extension to WDDC offices behind 21 North Square in 1977. This entailed the rapid photographic record of a 19th century bread oven and a late 1st century Roman ditch. Much of the area was disturbed by cellars of houses on Friary Buidlings (demolished post 1928). The bread oven survived in one of these cellars. It was constructed of Broadmayne bricks and was seen in section (cast iron doors removed by machine). A lot of post-medieval disturbance was evident between the cellars, no medieval levels were observed. Natural chalk occurred at a depth of c. 1m, above which an old ground surface survived in some areas. At this level part of an E-W ditch was observed, cut into the chalk to a depth of c. 1m. Finds suggested a late 1st century date for the ditch which conforms to the Roman town grid and may represent an early property boundary.