Monument record MDO18732 - Wadham House, 50 High West Street, Dorchester; Late Roman timber structure

Evidence for a Late Roman timber structure was discovered during excavations behind Wadham House, High West Street, Dorchester in 1968. This evidence comprised a N-S aligned beam slot, containing a post hole, cut into the rubble layer sealing the late 3rd- early 4th century masonry Building A. The slot was 0.1m deep and 0.3m wide, the post-hole was cut to a depth of 0.25m. Both contained clean very dark brown loamy soil with mid-late 4th century pottery. While the structure to which they belong cannot now be reconstructed in any detail, it is tolerably clear that they represent a part of a fence or timber building of late Roman date.

Found during the excavation of a 27.5m x 3m trench during December and January 1968-9, dug in advance of the redevelopment of the back garden of Wadham House, 50 High West Street, Dorchester. The Excavation has been published as part of the ‘Dorchester Excavations Volume 1’ (Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Monograph 2) (1).

Evidence for this structure comprised a N-S aligned beam slot, containing a post hole, cut into the rubble layer sealing the late 3rd- early 4th century masonry Building A. The slot was 0.1m deep and 0.3m wide, the post-hole was cut to a depth of 0.25m. Both contained clean very dark brown loamy soil with mid-late 4th century pottery.

While the structure to which they belong cannot now be reconstructed in any detail, it is tolerably clear that they represent a part of a fence or timber building of late Roman date. A mass of rubble, 0.35m thick, was deposited above this in the late 4th century, evidently resulting from the destruction of a building.

Pit 2, at the west end of the site, dates to the later 4th century and may be related to this building.

<1> Draper, J, and Chaplin, C, 1982, Dorchester Excavations Volume 1: Excavations at Wadham House 1968; Dorchester Prison 1970, 1975 and 1978; and Glyde Path Road 1966, 3-26 (Monograph). SDO9690.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1410290 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:31PM