Monument record MDO18437 - Poundbury Post-Roman Settlement North of the Main Cemetery

An early post-Roman settlement was found in the northern part of the early post-Roman enclosure was discovered during the 1966-79 excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester. A number of post-built structures a grain drier, and threshing floor were established during the 5th century to the north of the late Roman cemetery.

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). The numbers in square brackets below refer to the context and feature numbers used in the published excavation report and archive (1)(2). Further refinement of the post-Roman settlement sequence has been undertaken by Christopher Sparey Green since the initial publication of the site and this has been taken into account in the following description (3) (4).

The later refinement of the post-Roman settlement sequence at Poundbury has identified a small post-Roman settlement to the north of the main Late Roman cemetery, within the northern half of the early post-Roman enclosure (3). This settlement comprised Structures PR11 and PR12, grain drier 4 and pit groups vi-vii.

The settlement was constrained on the south by the line of the main cemetery’s north boundary suggesting that the cemetery was still in use at this time. The northern limit of the settlement may have been defined by another linear boundary. The settlement straddled the corner of an earlier Roman enclosure and the line of a trackway skirting the cemetery, blocking its route. An irregular enclosure was appended to the NW end of PR11(3).

Further to the east was another rectangular post-built structure R20a, which may have been another building associated with this settlement.

The possible road metalling [G1090] may have been part of a late Roman road running towards the north or west gate of Dorchester. It is possible that this postulated road remained in use during this phase for access to the settlement.

This settlement is assigned to phase 5A in the Poundbury Monograph (1) and to phase 1 of the post-Roman settlement in a later reappraisal of the post-Roman settlements (3).

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

<2> Sparey Green, C, 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1982. Volume 1: The Settlements (Monograph). SDO9630.

<3> Farwell, D E and Molleson, T I, 1993, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1980. Volume II: The Cemeteries (Monograph). SDO9538.

<4> Sparey Green, C J, 1996, Poundbury, Dorset: settlement and economy in the Late and post-Roman Dorchester (Article in monograph). SDO10040.

Record last edited

Aug 3 2010 5:29PM