EDO4844 - Dorset County Hospital Site, Princes Street, Dorchester; evaluation 1994

Wessex Archaeology carried out a field evaluation in the grounds of Dorset County Hospital, Princes Street, Dorchester, in February 1994. This work comprised six hand excavated test pits and an auger survey, the purpose of which was to provide additional information on the survival, nature and depth of any archaeological deposits within the area, to supplement previous fieldwork (1989) and a desk based assessment (1993). The test pits revealed Roman features in the western part of the area, adjacent to the mortuary (at about 69.8m OD) and in the north part behind Lime Tree House (at about 72m OD). Elsewhere, deep modern overburden may seal medieval or earlier deposits. The auger survey suggests that archaeological levels (predominately Roman) may survive in several parts of the site which are currently open. The potential for pre-Roman layers is indicated by the apparent presence of clay and silt layers overlying the chalk in auger holes in the north part, the central part and the southern part of the site. This potential was not possible to assess fully without larger scale work.