Monument record MDO18402 - Poundbury Late Roman Settlement in Enclosure 1

A late Roman settlement within the Late Roman Enclosure 1 was found within Late Roman enclosure 1 during the 1966-79 excavations at Poundbury, on Sites D, E, and F. The settlement comprised a group of three rectangular buildings (R15, R16, R17) with associated pits and ovens. The main building appears to have been R16, a bipartite rectangular house with stone footings and probably with a stone tile roof. The southern part of this building contained an oven and a possible fireplace with chimney, as well as the slots and postholes of internal timber structures. The northern room may have been used as sleeping quarters. The other two buildings were small rectangular stone-footed structures, perhaps used as outhouses or sheds. To the west of the buildings were a number of oval and rectangular pits, some of which were used as cess pits and a largely destroyed oven. To the northwest were a few more scattered pits and a large keyhole-type oven. The finds from these features suggest a 3rd-4th century AD date for this settlement.

Found during the excavations directed by Christopher Sparey Green, for the Dorchester Excavation Committee, between 1966 and 1979 during development of the Grove Trading Estate on the eastern slopes of Poundbury Camp, Dorchester (1).

A late Roman settlement within the Late Roman Enclosure 1 was excavated on Sites D, E, and F. The settlement comprised a group of three rectangular buildings (R15, R16, R17) with associated pits and ovens. The main building appears to have been R16, a bipartite rectangular house with stone footings and probably with a stone tile roof. The southern part of this building contained an oven and a possible fireplace with chimney, as well as the slots and postholes of internal timber structures. The northern room may have been used as sleeping quarters. The other two buildings were small rectangular stone-footed structures, perhaps used as outhouses or sheds. To the west of the buildings were a number of oval and rectangular pits, some of which were used as cess pits and a largely destroyed oven. To the northwest were a few more scattered pits and a large keyhole-type oven.

The finds from these features suggest a 3rd-4th century AD date for this settlement.

To the northeast, the possible road metalling G1090 may represent the remains of a road running from this settlement towards either the west or north gate of Durnovaria.

<1> Sparey Green, C, 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1982. Volume 1: The Settlements (Monograph). SDO9630.

<2> Sparey Green, C, 1966-1979, Poundbury, Grove Trading Estate, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO10096.

Record last edited

Aug 3 2010 5:25PM