EDO5127 - Sherborne Abbey Primary School replacement site Lenthay Road, Sherborne; evaluation trench 7

Southern Archaeological Services conducted an archaeological evaluation on land at the western end of Lenthay Road in advance of the proposed building of the Sherborne Abbey Primary School replacement site between 12 and 19 January 1998. Nine trenches… were excavated by JCB. Two possible ring features 15-19m in diameter, may be the ploughed out remains of Bronze Age round barrows. Ditches, two small annular features, small pits/post holes and stake holes were also recorded. Some features lay below 1.2m of hill wash, suggesting some antiquity, although no dateable artefacts were recovered. Some may be agricultural features associated with the Roman villa 150m SW of the site. Medieval to modern land drains and a grubbed out field boundary were also observed. Trench 7 measured 30m x 1.8m, was aligned N-S and was located in the SW corner of the eastern field. A French drain was cut through the colluvium and the remaining features were sealed by the colluvium. These included two annular features, five post-holes or small pits and three stake-holes. These features are not dated but seem to represent some form of occupation or land use, possibly associated with the nearby Lenthay Roman villa.