Monument record MDO18515 - Roman grain drier, Bridport Road Ridge, Dorchester

A grain drier was found during the evaluation of the Dorchester By-pass, excavated by Wessex Archaeology in 1987 in the area south of Bridport Road. This was a pear-shaped feature filled with bands of dark charcoal-rich clay and burnt clay in the lower part. No finds were recovered. This feature is tentatively dated to the Roman period on the basis of the similarity in character with grain driers found elsewhere during the Dorchester By-pass excavations at Fordington Field and St George’s Road.

Found during the evaluation of the Dorchester By-pass, excavated by Wessex Archaeology in 1987 in the area south of Bridport Road <3>.

The grain drier was a pear-shaped feature at least 2m long and 1m wide with steep sloping sides and a shallow curving base. The bottom of the cut had bands of dark charcoal-rich clay and burnt clay up to 0.4m thick. These were sealed by a layer of brown silty clay. No finds were recovered. This feature is tentatively dated to the Roman period on the basis of the similarity in character with grain driers found elsewhere during the Dorchester By-pass excavations at Fordington Field and St George’s Road <3>.

<1> Wessex Archaeology, 1987, Dorchester By-pass (Excavation archive). SDO9385.

<2> Woodward, P J and Smith, R J C, 1987, Survey and excavation along the route of the Southern Dorchester By-pass, 1986-1987 – an interim note, 79-89 (Article in serial). SDO9381.

<3> Smith, R J C et al, 1997, Excavations along the Route of the Dorchester By-pass, Dorset, 1986-8, 84 (Monograph). SDO9379.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1431047 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 6 2023 7:48PM