Monument record MDO18125 - Greyhound Yard, Roman building 5456

The remains of a stone building on the eastern street frontage of the Greyhound Yard insula found during the 1984 excavations at Greyhound Yard. The plan of the building is unclear but included two rooms along the street frontage and was perhaps two rooms deep. No contemporary floor surfaces were found and the function of this building is uncertain. It probably dates from the mid-late 2nd century and had probably gone out of use during the 4th century AD.

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).

The remains of a stone building found in the southern part of the eastern street frontage. It lay just to the north of Building 5457. Only small parts of this building were recovered and its overall plan is unclear. The evidence for this building comprised two flint rubble footings [5191, 5193] with a further footing eight metres to the west. These appear to define part of a building with two rooms to the east, one of which was about three metres square, and was perhaps two rooms deep.

An internal footing [5198] was found in the southeast corner of the building, about 0.4m north of the southern wall. This footing had butt ends suggesting it was inserted into the room, but how it related to this building is unclear.

There is no evidence for the function of this building, but it may have been part of a complex together with Buildings 5457 and 5455. The dating of this building is minimal. The stratigraphic data suggests a terminus post quem of the mid-late 2nd century AD. The date this building went out of use is unclear. It may have been incorporated with Building 5433 in the later 4th century, or possibly replaced by this building.

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at Greyhound Yard, and the Old Methodist Chapel (1982-1984): Interim and introductory notes to the current excavations (Unpublished document).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, 57 (Monograph). SDO9411.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:26PM