Monument record MDO18282 - Land South-west of Poundbury Farm; prehistoric boundary ditches

A total of 16 ditches aligned on or near E-W / N-S axes were revealed during the archaeological evaluation undertaken in 2001 by Wessex Archaeology and subsequent excavation in 2005, in advance of development of a field to the south of Bridport Road and north and east of the By-pass. These were mainly found in the eastern half of the field, to the east of a coombe running N-S across the site. Some ditches were sealed beneath the colluvium in this coombe. There is some evidence for an accompanying bank on the north and west sides of the ditches. Only four ditches contained dating evidence, comprising Middle/Late Bronze Age pottery. These ditches are likely to be part of a rectilinear field system of Middle/Late Bronze Age date. One ditch was subsequently proved to belong to a rectangular Middle Bronze Age enclosure during the 2005 excavations. Further elements of which have been found widespread across the area to the west of Dorchester.

A number of ditches were found during the archaeological evaluation undertaken in 2001 by Wessex Archaeology in advance of development on a large tract of land to the south of Bridport Road and north and east of the By-pass and another to the north of Bridport Road and west of Poundbury Farm.

A total of 16 ditches aligned on or near E-W / N-S axes were revealed. These were mainly found in the eastern half of the site, to the east of a colluviated coombe running N-S across the site (in Trenches 7, 9, 15, 16, 26, 31). Two ditches (in Trenches 33 and 40) were sealed beneath the colluvium in the coombe and two ditches (Trenches 5 and 43) were found just west of the coombe. Only one ditch (in Trench 10) was found in the western half of the field. These ditches were all between 1.25 and 1.8m wide and between 0.5 and 0.92m deep. They all had a similar profile consisting of steep sides with a rounded to flat narrow base. They had complex fills of brown and orange-brown clayey silts and the asymmetric fills in a number of ditches suggested they were accompanied by a bank on the northern side (for E-W ditches) or western side (for N-S ditches). Only four ditches (in Trenches 5, 7, 31 and 61) contained any dating evidence, consisting of Middle/Late Bronze Age pottery.

Six ditches mainly in the central north part of the southern field (in Trenches 5, 7, 10, 15, and 61) contained a secondary layer rich in chalk flint, which may be evidence for localised field clearance.

These ditches are likely to be part of a rectilinear field system of Middle/Late Bronze Age date. Further elements of this were exposed during the 2005 excavations, which also exposed a rectilinear enclosure set in the corner of one field (3)

Further elements of which have been found widespread across the area to the west of Dorchester. Unfortunately only a very few ditches (in Trenches 39, 40, and 41) seem to correspond to cropmarks evident on aerial photographs of this area, which makes it difficult to be certain of the shape of the fields.

One ditch in the northern end of evaluation trench 16 proved upon further excavation in 2005 to be part of a rectangular Middle Bronze Age enclosure.

<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 (Article in serial). SDO9530.

<2> Dagless, N, 2001, Land to the West of Poundbury Farm, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Excavation. (Unpublished document). SDO9532.

<3> Appleton, C, 2005, Poundbury Development, Phase II, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Post-Excavation Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SDO9932.

Record last edited

Sep 25 2006 6:21AM