Monument record MDO18112 - Greyhound Yard, Roman Building 3146

Building 3146 was a long narrow rectangular building, oriented north-south, and divided into three rectangular rooms was found behind the northern frontage of the Greyhound Yard insula, during the 1984 Greyhound Yard excavations by Wessex Archaeology. It lay immediately southwest of Building 5544 and may have been an extension to that building. It comprised flint and chalk footings with traces of a mortared flint wall base on top and there was some slight indication of a stone floor. Two large cess pits were inserted into the northernmost two rooms of this Building.

Found during the excavations carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1984 prior to the redevelopment of the area of the former Greyhound Yard. (1) The results of the excavation were published together with the results of the adjacent Old Methodist Chapel excavations. (2) The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the published report (2).

Building 3146 lies to the south of the west end of Building 5544 and east of Building 5543, behind the north frontage of the Greyhound Yard insula. The evidence for this building comprises wall footings and possibly some remnants of the wall base on top, defining elements of a long narrow rectangular building divided into probably three rooms. The wall footings to this building were variable. The east and west walls of the northern half had trench built footings [1891, 3152] between 0.8-0.9m deep of predominantly flint rubble, with some limestone and mortar fragments. Overlying these footings were traces of a mortared flint wall base on a levelling layer of mortar. The northern end of the east footing had been cut through the edge of the footing for Building 5544. The western footing had a clear butt end to the south but the southern end of the eastern footing had been destroyed by later activity. Both footings were continued southwards by shallower footings trenches: the western footings trench [3115] was 0.4 m deep and filled with coarse chalk rubble in rough courses; the eastern footing was very disturbed but a short length of trench [2029] 0.1m deep filled with flint and limestone rubble survived. Only remnants of dividing cross walls were found: a band of coarse chalk rubble [2085] butting against wall 3146 and to the south a an area of truncated and disturbed chalk rubble [2088] may mark a similar internal division. The northern wall of the most northerly room lay beneath the north edge of the excavation and only a small part of its southern face of mortared flint [1624] was seen. The original southern extent of the building is unknown. These remains define parts of a building divided into three rectangular rooms. The two northerly rooms are about 3m by 5m across, and the southernmost room may be of similar dimensions.

There was very little evidence for internal floors. Flat-laid limestone slabs [5486] lay against the south side of chalk footing [2085] and similar slabs were found against the north side of footing [2088].

Within the two northernmost rooms of this building were two similar large deep pits [1300, 1293]. It is unclear whether these were contemporary with the use of this building, though this may be unlikely given the size of the pits which take up almost the whole floor space of the rooms. However, their location fitting neatly within the walls of this building do suggest some degree of contemporaneity. It is possible that this building was a latrine block. Immediately outside the east side of Building 3146 and south of Building 5544, were two further similar cess pits [1297, 1621].

Pit1300 lay within the northernmost room of Building 3146. It was a sub-rectangular shaft with vertical sides, measuring about 3.4m by 2.5m across and about 6m deep. About two metres above the base was a step in the eastern side. The primary layer in this pit was a band of fine chalk rubble [4091], above which was a layer of fibrous reddish-brown clay [4090], reflecting its initial use as a cess pit. This cess layer was sealed by layers of clayey loam [4077, 4065] up to 1.6m thick, which completely filled the narrower base of the pit. Above this was another cess layer of fibrous laminated clay [4064], which was sealed by a layer of compact clean chalk rubble [4063]. The upper part of the pit was filled with layers of dark loam and rubble, with the uppermost layer being predominantly flint rubble [1609]. Late 3rd-4th century AD pottery and rubbish was concentrated in the upper infill layers of this pit. Fragments of probable ceiling plaster were found in the upper part of the pit fill.

Pit 1293 was a large cess pit within the central room of Building 3146, to the south of Pit [1300]. It was very similar in size and shape to Pit 1300 and occupied a similar stratigraphic position. It was a large subrectangular pit about 4.2 m by 2.6 m across with vertical sides about 6 m deep. Its primary fills were fine fibrous clays [4563, 4561] containing very few finds and a layer [4502] above which contained large quantities of pottery and bone, including a complete late 3rd-4th century New Forest indented beaker. Above these layers were bands of dark loam with increasing amounts of flint and limestone rubble, which filled the top of the feature.

Pit 1621 was a large cess pit immediately east of Building 3146 and south of Building 5544. It is very similar to [1300] and [1293] within Building 3146. It was a subrectangular in shape, 2.8m by 1.5m across with vertical sides about 4m deep. Its primary fill was of fibrous clay or cess [3828, 3823] up to 0.4m thick. This was sealed by a layer of loam containing a high proportion of broken limestone roof tiles [3861], which was covered by a second cess layer of soft fibrous clay [3688]. The later fills of the pit were fine dark loams with flint and limestone rubble. All layers in this pit contained 4th century pottery.

Pit 1297 was a large cess pit to the east of pit 1621, and south of Building 5544 - similar to Pit [1621] and to Pits [1300] and [1293] within Building 3146. It was a subrectangular in shape, 3. m by 2.2m across with vertical sides about 6m deep. Its base was filled with interleaved and laminated bands of fibrous clay (cess) up to 1.5m thick [3868, 3866], containing very few finds. This was sealed by a relatively sandy layer [3867]. The upper profile of these layers was dished suggesting considerable compaction and settling. The upper part of the pit was filled with layers of dark loam with concentrations of stone rubble, including cut blocks and architectural fragments. These upper layers contained 4th century AD pottery.

Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Dorchester, Durnovaria: Excavations in the town centre at Greyhound Yard, and the Old Methodist Chapel (1982-1984): Interim and introductory notes to the current excavations (Unpublished document). SDO9435.

Wessex Archaeology, 1984, Greyhound Yard, Dorchester excavation archive (Excavation archive). SDO9456.

<1> Woodward, P J , Davies, S M , and Graham, A H, 1984, Excavations at the Greyhound Yard Car Park, Dorchester, 1984, 99-106 (Article in serial). SDO9437.

<2> Woodward, P J , Davies, S M , and Graham, A H, 1993, Excavations at the Old Methodist Chapel and Greyhound Yard, Dorchester, 1981-1984, 55-57 (Monograph). SDO9411.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:26PM