Monument record MDO18469 - Poundbury Post-Roman Enclosure PR7/8

Post-Roman enclosure PR7/8 was discovered during the 1966-79 excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester. It was a possibly rectilinear enclosure formed by a number of short lengths of ditch with an open western side, which lay immediately south of enclosure PR13 and west of enclosure PR6. It enclosed two post-Roman sunken-featured buildings PR7 and PR8. Enclosure PR7/8 was assigned to phase 2 of the post-Roman settlement, which was characterised by a series of small buildings surrounded by small enclosures, which may represent individual cells for a religious (possibly female) community established on the site 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).

Post Roman enclosure PR7/8 was a possibly rectilinear enclosure defined by a number of short lengths of ditch. To the north, the boundary was contiguous with the southern boundary of enclosure PR13 and to the east with the western boundary of PR6. To the south the boundary was formed by two short lengths of ditch. The western side of the enclosure was not really defined. It enclosed two post-Roman sunken-featured buildings PR7 and PR8. The larger ditch arc curved around the western and southern sides of structure PR6. The smaller arc curved around the southeast part of structure PR6 and was on a line slightly north of and almost concentric with the larger arc, forming a possible curving entrance to the southeast. The western side of the enclosure was not defined, but was in an area of heavy disturbance.

Post-Roman enclosure PR7/8 was originally included in phase VB in the published monograph (1). A subsequent review of the post-Roman evidence has placed it in the post-Roman phase 2 settlement (3). Phase 2 of the settlement is distinguished by the appearance of small terraced or sunken-floored buildings of post and wattle construction, each surrounded by irregular ditched enclosures (PR5-10 and PR13) (3). Christopher Sparey-Green has recently suggested that this settlement phase of sunken dwellings within small enclosures represent individual cells for a religious (possibly female) community established on the site of the late Roman cemetery (4).

<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.

<3> Sparey Green, C J, 1996, Poundbury, Dorset: settlement and economy in the Late and post-Roman Dorchester (Article in monograph). SDO10040.

<4> Sparey Green, C J, Living amongst the dead: From Roman cemetery to post-Roman monastic settlement at Poundbury (Article in monograph). SDO10041.

Record last edited

Aug 3 2010 5:31PM