Monument record MDO18602 - Colliton Park, Dorchester; Lime Kiln

A large lime kiln was found at Colliton Park, immediately west of Building I during excavations in 1938. The lime kiln was keyhole-shaped with a square or rectangular stokehole to the west, which was not excavated. The main chamber comprised a circular pit lined with limestone, with some suggestion that it may have had a corbelled roof. In the base was a basin-shaped hollow with a flue running from the stokehole, which both had been filled with tightly packed chalk in antiquity. The floor and the stone lining were burnt and there was a small quantity of black ash at the base of the chamber. The chamber was primarily filled with chalk rubble and fallen blocks of limestone. The only dating evidence was a coin of Tetricus (AD270-273) from the fill of the chamber, suggesting that it went out of use sometime after the second half of the third century.

A large lime kiln was found at Colliton Park, immediately west of Building I during excavations in 1938. Due to the outbreak of World War II, the excavations were never completed or written up. The following account is based on the interim report (1) and the Royal Commission Inventory entry (2).

The lime kiln was not completely cleared and excavated. It was keyhole-shaped with a square or rectangular stokehole to the west, which was not excavated. The main chamber comprised a circular pit 4.2m across and 4.8m deep, lined with limestone, with some suggestion that it may have had a corbelled roof. In the base was a basin-shaped hollow with a flue running from the stokehole, which both had been filled with tightly packed chalk in antiquity. The floor and the stone lining were burnt and there was a small quantity of black ash at the base of the chamber. The chamber was primarily filled with chalk rubble and fallen blocks of limestone.

The only dating evidence was a coin of Tetricus (AD270-273) from the fill of the chamber, suggesting that it went out of use sometime after the second half of the third century.

National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, SY 69 SE 24 (Index). SDO9937.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1937-1938, Colliton Park, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO10066.

<1> Drew, C D, and Collingwood Selby, K C, 1938, 'The Excavations at Colliton Park, Dorchester: Second Interim report; Excavations carried out in the season of 1938' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 52 (Article in serial). SDO9765.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, p558 no. 182 (Monograph). SDO149.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:30PM