Monument record MDO18025 - Maiden Castle Farm possible field ditches

Three linear ditches recorded east and northeast of Maiden Castle Farm. Two undated ditches were aligned roughly N-S and possibly part of strip field system. The other ditch was oriented NW-SE and contained 17th century pottery.

Three ditches recorded east and northeast of Maiden Castle Farm during topsoil stripping as part of the construction of the Dorchester By-pass. The easternmost ditch was aligned NE-SW, parallel to the Weymouth Road. It was 0.63m wide and 0.15m deep filled with chalky soil. No artefacts were recovered. To the west was another ditch, aligned almost north-south withf a V-profiled ditch 1.7m wide and 0.56m deep. It was filled with chalky soil. A single piece of possible Roman tile was recovered from it. Both ditches have been interpreted as being field boundary ditches, the surviving elements of a system of strip fields aligned approximately parallel to Weymouth Road.

The third ditch lay to the west and was aligned NW-SE. It was a discontinuous U-profiled feature 0.4m wide and 0.3m deep. Three sherds of 17th century pottery were recovered from this feature.

Wessex Archaeology, 1987, Dorchester By-pass (Excavation archive). SDO9385.

Smith, R J C et al, 1997, Excavations along the Route of the Dorchester By-pass, Dorset, 1986-8, 53-55 (Monograph). SDO9379.

Record last edited

Mar 15 2012 10:46AM