EDO6280 - Yorke House, Weston Road, Portland; evaluation 2010

Evaluation trenching in advance of proposed dvelopment recorded residual lithics on the site of Yorke House. Evaluation comprising the machine excavation of four trenches: Trench 1 - 1.4m width x 5.2 m length and 600mm to 700mm depth; Trench 2(W) - 1.4m width x 6.4 m length and 500mm to 600mm depth; Trench 2€ - 2.2m width x 17.0m length and 550mm to 700mm depth; Trench 3 - 2.0 m width x 8.4 m length and 400mm depth; Trench 4 - 2.0 m width x 11.5 m length and 500mm to 550mm depth. All trenches contained topsoil to 350mm overlying natural strata (sterile tan fine sandy clayoverlying Portland stone 'slats'. In all cases the surface of natural strata was undisturbed with the exception of two small animal burrows in Trench 2 € and a small area of root disturbance at the junction of Trench 2 € and Trench 4. The absence of archaeological features and the near absence of artefacts other than modern is taken by the author to indicate that the area of proposed development was not within an area of setlement prior to the beginning of the 20th century.