Monument record MDO18200 - 19 North Square, Dorchester; medieval activity

A possible beam slot oriented ENE-WSW containing some building debris and some 12th century pottery and cut by a 12th century pit containing pottery and fish bone were revealed during a watching brief on the construction of a new extension to the rear of 19 North Square, Dorchester, undertaken by Terrain Archaeology in 2003. The beam slot may have been part of an earlier medieval (pre-12th century) building on the site, but no details survive for its size, shape or form.

A linear slot oriented ENE-WSW and a pit dating to the 12th century AD were found during a watching brief to the rear of 19 North Square, Dorchester, undertaken by Terrain Archaeology in 2003. The context numbers in square brackets are taken from the client report (1).

The slot was oriented ENE-WSW and had vertical sides and a flat base. It continued beneath the standing buildings to the west and was seen in two footings trenches to the east. Immediately outside the standing buildings it was about 0.5m wide and 0.65m deep, but further to the east, it was only about 0.25m deep. It was filled with a series of layers of soil containing frequent mortar, limestone and flint fragments and a small quantity of 12th century pottery. This slot may be the remains of a beam slot for a timber building, perhaps of earlier medieval date. This slot was cut by a circular pit with steep sides and a flat base about 0.9m across and 0.7m deep. It was filled with soil containing a significant quantity of fish bone and a number of large fresh sherds of 12th century pottery.

These features were disturbed by later activity.

It is difficult to be certain of the precise nature of the activity on this site during the medieval period, given the small areas exposed, however, the area of the site is likely to have been in the backlands of medieval buildings on the frontage of North Square.The beam slot may have been part of an earlier medieval (pre-12th century) building on the site, but no details survive for its size, shape or form. No associated surfaces were recognised.

Bellamy, P S, 2003, Dorchester, 19 North Square. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeology Society, 164 (Article in serial). SDO9450.

<1> Bellamy, P and Tatler, S, 2004, 19 North Square, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SDO9449.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:27PM