EDO526 - Land at Lower Blandford Heights, Blandford Forum; evaluation 1997

AC Archaeology conducted an archaeological evaluation of land at Lower Blandford Heights Industrial Estate, Blandford during 1997. This comprised the machine excavation of six trenches, amounting to a 2% sample of the available area. The former Blandford and Pimperne parish boundary forms the NW boundary of the site, and is represented by a prominent bank and ditch. The evaluation failed to reveal archaeological deposits pre-dating the 19th century, and no pre-modern artefacts were recovered. A cross section through the parish boundary bank and ditch revealed that at that point it was entirely constructed using modern topsoil, with modern artefacts present at its lowest levels. It is therefore likely that the bank and ditch was built during the 20th century, when the land was used as allotments. The excavators concluded that any development of this site was unlikely to disturb any significant archaeological remains.