Monument record MDO18672 - Wareham House, Alington Avenue, Dorchester; Post Roman cemetery

Evidence for a Post Roman cemetery was discovered during work in the garden at the rear of Wareham House in 1892. At least nine burials were found. One burial was accompanied by an iron knife blade, another with a double-sided composite bone comb, and a third with three rings of silver wire and four beads of coloured glass. The burials were originally thought to be late Roman in date but a re-examination of the finds by Christopher Sparey Green indicated a 6th-7th century AD date for the cemetery.

Found during groundwork for the construction of a cucumber frame and the planting of apple trees at the rear of Wareham House in 1892. The original discovery of the burials has been described in the Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club (1). The discoveries were also described in relation to nearby Roman burials in the RCHME Dorset volume 2 (part 3)(2). The associated artefacts were later re-examined and dated to the 6th-7th centuries (3).

At least six burials were found, closely fitted into graves cut c.0.65m into the chalk, in clearing an area approximately 12m x 3m for cucumber frames. All were reported to be ‘facing NE’ and three were arranged ‘in line’. Two were on their sides and the rest extended. The ages of two were estimated at 26 and 60 and an iron nail and knife blade were found ‘embedded in the left arm of one’.

Three further burials were found in planting apple trees including one unique in ‘facing south’; one of a young person with a double-sided composite bone comb; and a third with two ear rings of silver wire and four beads of blue, green and yellow glass; the yellow bead being threaded on an ear ring (2).

The burials were originally thought to be late Roman in date but a re-examination of the finds by Christopher Sparey Green in 1984 suggested that the knife dated from the 5th-7th centuries. The double sided composite bone comb was of a type and form that probably dates from the late 6th- early 7th centuries AD (3).

<1> Bankes, W A, 1893, The Recent Discovery of Human Remains at Wareham House, Dorchester. (Article in serial). SDO9801.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 575 (218a) (Monograph). SDO150.

<3> Sparey-Green, C, 1984, Early Anglo-Saxon burials at the ‘Trumpet Major’ public house, Alington Avenue, Dorchester (Article in serial). SDO9802.

Record last edited

Oct 30 2013 3:54PM