Monument record MDO18240 - Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Roman yard behind Structure 1603

A small number of early Roman features were found in the western part of Trench 3, to the west of Early Roman Structure 1603, during the 1989 excavations at Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester. This included two pits, one of which contained 2nd century AD pottery, and a large probable quarry pit containing some early Roman pottery. To the west of these pits was a well, which had some 1st-2nd century AD pottery in its upper part. These features are probably contemporary with Structure 1603 and probably represent activity in the yard or open area behind this building.

Found during the excavations carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1989 in the proposed Wessex Court retail development area between Charles Street, Acland Road, and South Walks, Dorchester (1) (2) (3) (4). The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the report and archive (1) (4).

In Trench 3, four pits [256, 308, 321, 323] and a well [294] lay below the construction levels of the Late Roman Structure [1609] and may have been within a yard or open area associated with Early Roman structure 1603, to the east.

Pits [308] and [321] lay to the north and both were partly destroyed by later activity. They both may have been part of a single large oval feature about 4.5m long , 2m wide and up to 1m deep with sloping sides and an irregular base, perhaps a quarry pit. It was filled with brown soil containing flint and chalk rubble. A few sherds of early Roman pottery were recovered from [308] and [321].

Just to the south was a badly disturbed pit [323] filled with light brown clay soil and some undiagnostic Roman pottery.

Further south was Pit [256], which was probably oval, about 1.3m across and with vertical sides. It was only partly within the excavated area and was not fully excavated. It was filled with light brown soil and contained some 2nd century AD pottery.

To the west of these pits was well [294]. This comprised of a vertical shaft 0.9m diameter with a broad upper section over 3m across and 0.5m deep. The base of the well was not reached. There was no sign of a lining or any other structure associated with this well. No datable finds were recovered from the upper part of the shaft, but some 1st-2nd century AD pottery was found in the broad upper part.

National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, SY 69 SE 386 (Index). SDO9937.

<1> Davies, S M and Farwell, D, 1989, Excavations at Charles Street (Wessex Court), Dorchester: Interim report on Stage 1, 25th May-3rd July and Stage 2, 25th July-12th September 1989 (Unpublished document). SDO9408.

<2> Adam, N J, Butterworth, C A, Davies, S M, and Farwell, D E, 1992, Excavations at Wessex Court , Charles Street, Dorchester, Dorset, 1989 (Unpublished document). SDO9409.

<3> Davies, S M and Farwell, D E, 1989, 'Charles Street, Dorchester, Wessex Court Development', Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO9414.

<4> Wessex Archaeology, 1989-1990, Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO9878.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:28PM