Monument record MDO18370 - Acland Road/ Charles Street, Dorchester; Roman building

The remains of a possible robber trench for a Roman building was exposed in a surface water trench at the corner of Acland Road and Charles Street, Dorchester in 1965. The orientation of this robber trench was similar to that of the Roman buildings excavated along the eastern frontage of the Greyhound Yard site, just to the north. The position of this robber trench suggests that it may be part of a building fronting onto the west side of the N-S Roman street, which runs roughly along the line of Acland Road.

The remains of a possible robber trench for a Roman building was exposed in a surface water trench at the corner of Acland Road and Charles Street, Dorchester in 1965. The full dimensions of the trench were not exposed, but it appeared to be over 0.4m wide and 0.3m deep, with a vertical southern side that cut through Roman stratigraphy. It was oriented roughly ENE-WSW. The possible robber trench was filled with dark soil with flint, limestone and plaster rubble. It cut through a layer of grey ash with a layer of grey soil with black ash above, which produced a sherd of creamware mortarium, probably dating to the 2nd-3rd century AD.

The orientation of this robber trench was similar to that of the Roman buildings excavated on the eastern frontage of the Greyhound Yard site, just to the north. The position of this robber trench suggests that it may be part of a building fronting onto the west side of the N-S Roman street, which runs roughly along the line of Acland Road.

Wessex Archaeology, 1956-1985, Greyhound Yard, Dorchester, W66.6 (Excavation archive). SDO9916.

Green, C J S, 1967, Notes on Roman Sites in Dorchester, 1963-65; Acland Road/ Charles Street Junction, SY 69369059. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 112 (Article in serial). SDO9706.

Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, p566, no. 200 (Monograph). SDO150.

Woodward, P J , Davies, S M , and Graham, A H, 1993, Excavations at the Old Methodist Chapel and Greyhound Yard, Dorchester, 1981-1984, p5, observation 6 (Monograph). SDO9411.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:29PM