Monument record MDO18733 - Wadham House, 50 High West Street, Dorchester; Medieval gully 3

Evidence for a Medieval gully was discovered during excavations behind Wadham House, High West Street, Dorchester in 1968. Running N-S across the east end of the trench was a gully 0.4m deep. Its width, 0.45m, was consistent along its length until 0.5m from the north section where it widened to 1.0m. The fill consisted of mixed dark brown soil containing no artefacts. Immediately to the east of the gully was a small post-hole cut into the natural chalk whose date and function are not clear but it may relate to the gully.

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).

The post-medieval digging of the site has disturbed all medieval and late Roman levels, in some places down to the solid chalk. However, the truncated remains of a gully which appeared to be of medieval date survived at the east end of the site.

Running N-S across the east end of the trench was a gully 0.4m deep. Its width, 0.45m, was consistent along its length until 0.5m from the north section where it widened to 1.0m. The fill consisted of mixed dark brown soil containing no artefacts. Immediately to the east of the gully was a small post-hole cut into the natural chalk whose date and function are not clear but it may relate to the gully.

A very small amount of medieval pottery was found in the topsoil on the site. This area was probably gardens behind the houses facing on to High West Street in the medieval period.

<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.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:31PM