EDO4861 - A37 Western Link Road; Trench G/H

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. This was originally two machine-cut trial trenches measuring 25m by 5m, which were extended into a single large excavation trench over 40m by 32m across. This trench, together with Trench K to the north and Trench F to the south formed the main focus of excavation on the Western Link. The earliest feature was a Bronze Age ditch (which was a continuation of the ditch found in Trench F) sealed by prehistoric colluvium. A number of Late Iron Age/early Roman features were discovered. These included two sunken-floored structures, one of which continued into Trench F. The other had a hearth and two postholes within it and an infant burial cut into the floor. A series of working hollows were found in the northern part of the trench and a single storage pit in the southern part. The remains of a terrace were found cut into the side of the coombe. Five Durotrigian burials were found in this trench, associated with the Late Iron Age-Early Roman cemetery found in Trench K to the north, together with one slightly later Roman burial. A small number of 1st/2nd century Roman features were found. In the southern part of the trench was a small complex of gullies. In teh northeast part of the trench was another complex of gullies and pits. The possible robber trench for a small rectangular building was found on the western edge of the trench. In the late Roman period the trench was bisected by a substantial hollow way, though the period of inception of this feature is not known. On the west side of it in the base of the coombe was a substantial working area comprising a yard surface with retaining wall and a fence, with a cistern and drying oven, probably for malting. In the northeast part of the trench, on the other side of the hollow-way was the remains of a substantial rectangular stone and timber structure cut into the side of the hillslope. Two hearths and a pit were found within this building.