Monument record MDO18280 - Land West of Poundbury Farm; prehistoric boundary ditches

A number of small ditches were exposed across the area to the west of Poundbury Farm during evaluation and excavation by Wessex Archaeology in 2000 and 2001. Most of these ditches had a V or U-shaped profile and were about 1m wide and were filled with similar deposits and were probably all field boundary ditches. A number of different orientations were noted, so it is unclear whether these ditches are all part of the same field system. Dating evidence was sparse, comprising a small quantity of worked flint and a single Late Bronze Age pot sherd.

A number of small ditches were exposed across the area to the west of Poundbury Farm during evaluation and excavation by Wessex Archaeology in 2000 and 2001 (1) (2) (3). Short lengths of ditch were exposed in evaluation trenches 3, 5, 9, 18, and 19 and in excavation trench 3.

Ditches 305 and 502 in evaluation trenches 3 and 5 respectively were both aligned E-W. Ditch 305 was 1.75m wide and 0.8m deep with a U-shaped profile. Ditch 502 had a similar profile and measured 0.68m wide and 0.19m deep. Ditches 309 and 903 in excavation trench 3 and evaluation trench 9 were both aligned SW-NE. Ditch 309 had a V-shaped profile about 0.7m wide and 0.2m deep. Ditch 903 had a V-shaped profile 0.7m wide and 0.4m deep. Ditch 1804 in evaluation trench 18 was aligned WNW-ESE. It was 1m wide and 0.46m deep and appeared to have been badly disturbed by tree roots. Ditch 1908 in evaluation trench 19 was aligned WSW-ENE. It had a V-shaped profile and was 0.9m wide and 0.56m deep. All the ditches were filled with similar silty clay soils.

Only ditch 309 in excavation trench 3 produced any datable finds, in the form of a few fragments of Late Bronze Age pottery, together with some worked flint. Small quantities of worked flint were recovered from the ditch sections in evaluation trenches 3 and 19.

These ditches are all likely to be elements of one or more prehistoric field systems which have been previously noted in this area. The differing alignments make it difficult to be certain if they all belong to the same field system. None of the excavated ditches are visible on the aerial photographs of the area. Although, dating evidence is lacking, it is likely that all these ditches belong to the Late Bronze Age or Iron Age.

<1> Gardiner, J, 2003, Dorchester, Land to the West and South-West of Poundbury Farm, 2000-2001. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeology Society, 154-6 (Article in serial). SDO9530.

<2> Seager-Smith, R, 2000, Land to the West of Poundbury Farm, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Evaluation. (Unpublished document). SDO9529.

<3> Dagless, N, 2001, Land to the West of Poundbury Farm, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Excavation. (Unpublished document). SDO9532.

Record last edited

Mar 23 2012 11:42AM