Monument record MDO18622 - Applegates, 34 Trinity Street, Dorchester; Early Roman cill-beam building

The remains of a rectangular post-built structure were found on the Roman street frontage during excavations on the site of Applegates, 34 Trinity Street , Dorchester in 1971. This timber structure comprised eight large postholes with flint and limestone packing. It lay immediately east of a large timber cill-beam building and may have been associated with it, perhaps representing a porch, verandah or covered walkway adjacent to the street. It was constructed after c. AD85 and was demolished before the mid 2nd century AD.

The remains of a large building were found set back from the Roman street frontage during excavations on the site of Applegates, 34 Trinity Street , Dorchester in 1971 (1) (2). This building had a complex plan, which was not completely exposed and continued beyond the excavated area to the north and south. It appeared to consist of a number of rectangular units comprising one large and two small rooms, with further rooms to the rear. Parts of two three-room units were exposed, with possibly a third added to the north.

The walls were defined by narrow footings (c. 0.2m wide) of coursed limestone pieces. The slight nature of these footings suggests they were to support a timber-framed construction with the cill beams laid directly on the footings. The main part of the building was between 5-5.8m wide and it was over 16m long. It was set back about three metres back from the road.

Parts of ten rooms were exposed, nine of which had remnants of mortar or opus signinum floors. A number of opus signinum mouldings were found at the junction between floor and wall. Quantities of wall plaster debris recovered within the building indicate that some or all the rooms had painted walls. Elements of dados of imitation marbling and of trellises on both a yellow and a white ground scheme were found.

<1> O'Connor, B J, and Startin, W A, 1972, 'Excavations for the Dorchester Excavation Committee, Interim Report, 1971: 34 Trinity Street' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 151-152 (Article in serial). SDO9889.

<2> Wilson, D R, 1972, 'Roman Britain in 1971: Southern Counties' Britannia, 345 (Article in serial). SDO9891.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1430534 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:30PM