Monument record MDO18312 - White Hart, High East Street, Dorchester: Stone-lined pit 309

Part of a large stone-lined pit was found during the evaluation excavation on the site of the White Hart Public House, High East Street, Dorchester by ASI Heritage Consultants in 2004. Only a very small part of this feature was exposed and it is difficult to be certain of its size, shape, character, function and date, without further investigation. It comprised a straight vertical edge, over three metres long and over 0.4m deep, aligned roughly N-S cut into the natural chalk with a flint rubble wall built along the edge of the pit above the level of the natural chalk. It was filled with deposits of clay containing crushed chalk and Roman tile. It is not securely dated but may be Roman in date. The excavators suggest that it may be a mortar mixing pit, but without further excavation, its function must remain in doubt.

Part of a large stone-lined pit was found during the evaluation excavation of the site of the White Hart Public House, High East Street, Dorchester, by ASI Heritage Consultants in 2004. Only a very small part of this feature was exposed in Trench 3, to the rear of the property and it is difficult to be certain of its size, shape, character, function and date, without further investigation. The pit [309] comprised a straight vertical edge, over three metres long, aligned roughly N-S cut into the natural chalk. A flint rubble wall [310] was built along the edge of the pit above the level of the natural chalk. This pit was over 0.4m deep and was not bottomed. It was filled with deposits of clay containing crushed chalk and Roman tile. This pit was not securely dated other than by the presence of Roman tile in its filling, but stratigraphically it is possible that it is Roman in date. The excavators suggest that it may be a mortar mixing pit. However, without further excavation of the lower levels of this feature, its function must remain in doubt.

Heaton, M, 2004, Land at The White Hart Public House, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SDO9669.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:28PM