Monument record MDO18126 - Greyhound Yard, Roman building 5455

The remains of a stone building behind the eastern street frontage of the Greyhound Yard insula found during the 1984 excavations at Greyhound Yard. It was badly preserved and comprised the truncated footings defining parts of at least two rooms, with a corridor running along the eastern side. No floor surfaces survived and the function of the building is uncertain. It was probably constructed in the 3rd century AD and was demolished in the 4th century.

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 behind the southern part of the eastern frontage of the Greyhound Yard insula, to the west of Buildings 5456 and 5457. This building was not well preserved and most of it had been truncated by the terrace for the later Building 5433. This building comprised the truncated flint rubble footings [5142, 1934/4450, 5144] which defined at least two rooms to the west with a corridor along the eastern side.

There is no evidence for the function of this building, but it may have been part of a complex together with Buildings 5456 and 5457. The dating evidence for this building is minimal. There is no dating evidence for the construction of this building and its demolition is a terminus ante quem of the 4th century AD for the construction of the subsequent Building 5433 on top.

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Greyhound Yard, and the Old Methodist Chapel (1982-1984): Interim and introductory notes to the current excavations (Unpublished document).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