EDO4579 - The Grove, Dorchester; observations and recording 1975

The site of two graves was noted 25m west of the road (The Grove) and 35m south of the New Compasses Inn in February 1975. The graves were cut in natural chalk, parallel with each other and on an alignment ENE-WSW. The southern grave had been cut by the northern one, but both were badly damaged by the construction of garages for Grove Court Flats. The head of the southern burial lay to the west and nails were found each side of the skull. The merest trace of the bottom filling of a ditch was visible during garage building, 25m SSE of the graves. It is assumed that this represents the outer ditch of the Roman town defences, perhaps starting to swing east round the northern defences.