Monument record MDO18366 - Sewer Trench, Acland Road, Dorchester; Roman road

A series of probable Roman road gravels were recorded by Christopher Sparey Green in a trench during sewerage works in Acland Road in 1984. A thickness of about 0.7m of possible road make-up was exposed at a depth of about 1.5m below present ground level. These gravels probably lie on the western side of a N-S Roman street that ran roughly along the line of Acland Road.

A series of probable Roman road gravels were recorded by Christopher Sparey Green in a trench during sewerage works in Acland Road in 1984. The base of the road was not exposed, but a thickness of about 0.7m of possible road make-up was exposed. The lowest observed deposits were layers of grey and yellow gravel, about 0.25m thick, over which was a 0.15m thick layer of brick chips and gravel. These gravel layers were sealed by a 0.15m thick layer of chalk rubble. Above the chalk rubble was a 0.15m thick layer of yellow sand and gravel metalling. The top of the Roman road metalling lay at about 1.5m below present ground level. The deposits all appeared to be slightly higher in the eastern side of the trench, which may represent the camber of the road. The exposed gravels probably lie on the western side of the road.

This exposure of Roman road gravels is likely to be part of the same road as seen further to the north in a gas pipe trench in Acland Road in 1979 (EDO4567) and found at the eastern edge of the Greyhound Yard excavations (1 041 301).

Wessex Archaeology, 1956-1985, Greyhound Yard, Dorchester, W66.20 (Excavation archive). SDO9916.

Woodward, P J , Davies, S M , and Graham, A H, 1993, Excavations at the Old Methodist Chapel and Greyhound Yard, Dorchester, 1981-1984, Observation 20, p7 (Monograph). SDO9411.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:29PM