EDO4858 - A37 Western Link Road; Trench D

Wessex Archaeology undertook a programme of archaeological evaluation and excavation along the line of the A37 Western Link road in advance of road construction, between Autumn 1987 to March 1988. Trench D was originally a machine-cut L-shaped trial trench, with each arm being 25m by 5m across. A number of archaeological features were encountered, so the trench was subsequently enlarged at its western arm. Three linear field boundary ditches were found, aligned N-S and E-W. Two Late Roman burials were found aligned on these boundaries, one burial was originally in a wooden coffin and the other had evidence for a complex timber structure within the grave, comprising a wooden lining, a wooden coffin and another wooden box to the north of the coffin.