Monument record MDO18650 - Library Site, Colliton Park, Dorchester; Roman Road 1

A Roman road running N-S was found during excavations on the site of the new Dorset County Library, Colliton Park, Dorchester in 1961-63, where it was numbered Road 1. Observations by Christopher Sparey Green in 1965 during the construction of the library suggested that this road must have turned sharply to the east just to the north of the excavation trench. It was made from grouted flint gravel and the surface was very worn, with many ruts and frequent repairs. The road was probably constructed in the 1st century AD and appears to have gone out of use by the late 3rd century, when it was sealed by a number of deposits and a building constructed over it.

A Roman road running N-S was found during excavations on the site of the new Dorset County Library, Colliton Park, Dorchester in 1961-63, where it was numbered Road 1 (1). Observations by Christopher Sparey Green in 1965 during the construction of the library suggested that this road must have turned sharply to the east just to the north of the excavation trench (2).

Road 1 was laid in the western half of a large linear feature cut into the chalk. It consisted of grouted flint gravel forming a road about 2.6m wide. No dating evidence for the period of construction of this road was recovered, but it is likely to have been in the 1st century AD (3). The road had been well-used and the surface of was very worn and rutted. Many of the ruts had been repaired and in one of these repairs was a coin of c. AD141. The road appears to have gone out of use before the end of the 3rd century AD, as it was sealed by deposits of ash and soil and capped by spreads of chalk containg coins of c. AD268-270. A Roman building (Building 4) was subsequently constructed across the line of this road.

<1> Aitken, G, and Aitken, N, 1982, 'Excavations on the Library Site, Colliton Park, Dorchester' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 99 (Article in serial). SDO9729.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 553, Dorchester no. 181 (Monograph). SDO150.

'(181) STREET, excavated for about 45 ft. in 1963 by Mrs. G. M. Aitken in Colliton Park 10 ft. E. of the rear scarp of the Roman town rampart (68959075; Fig. p. 554). A gravelled walk was noted between the rampart and the street. The street ran N. on a bearing of some 4° for some 33 ft., but seemed to veer eastwards a further 8° in the remaining 12 ft. exposed. The metalling, of small flints and gravel cemented with chalk or lime, was about 8 ft. wide and 9 ins. thick where best preserved. Several ruts cutting into the natural Chalk had been repaired with gravel; one contained a coin of Faustina I (d. 140). The street was subsequently blocked by a 4th-century timber building (see Monument (188)). (Dorset Procs. LXXXV (1963), 96; R.C.H.M. records.)

Excavation in 1965 for the N.W. corner of the County Library appeared to show that the bend in this street was in fact continued for at least 45 ft. to bear N.E. or E. (Information and photographs from Mr. C. J. Green.) .'

<3> Draper, J, 1983, 'Some further discussion of the Library Site, Colliton Park, Dorchester' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 157-159 (Article in serial). SDO10071.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1430672 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:30PM