Monument record MDO18799 - Merchant's Garage, High West Street, Dorchester; Early Roman stone and timber building

A Roman building of probable 2nd century AD date was found during observations and recording at the site of the former Merchant’s Garage, High East Street, Dorchester in 1983. It was either rectangular or L-shaped in plan and was largely of timber post-built construction, except where it was built over earlier features and was provided with a low drystone wall footing. There was a mortar floor in the southwestern room and a chalk floor in the northern room. An oven was cut into the floor of the northern room and was subsequently replaced by a clay hearth set directly on the floor. This building was probably constructed in the early 2nd century AD.

The remains of a stone and timber building was found during observations and recording at the site of the former Merchant’s Garage, High East Street, Dorchester in 1983 (1) (2). The full extent of this building has not been determined, but was perhaps rectangular or L-shaped in plan. The walls of this building comprise post settings cut into the natural chalk and low drystone flint rubble walls where they cross earlier pits and features, primarily in the western side of the building. These walls were probably for supporting timber sleeper beams. The southern wall of the building appears to have been rebuilt, the later wall having two buttresses on the south side. A number of posts in the northern wall had also been replaced, indicating significant repairs to the structure during its life. There was a slightly-sunken rectangular mortar floor in the southwestern part of the building. This was replaced by another mortar floor when the southern wall was rebuilt. In the northern part of the building was a chalk floor. A number of postholes and stake holes were found within the building but no internal divisions can be properly identified. A large storage jar was dug into the floor in a small pit (with another jar found inside it). In the northwestern part of the building, an oven constructed from limestone blocks, with a firing floor to the east was found. This oven cut through the chalk floor, indicating that it was a secondary addition. It was subsequently backfilled and replaced by a hearth built directly on top of the floor and over the oven.

Very few occupation deposits within this building survived. In the northwest corner a layer of clay with charcoal flecks, early 2nd century AD pottery and fish bone was found. A layer of charcoal and burning overlay the southern part of the floor in the southwest room. Parts of the building were sealed by a demolition layer of clay containing frequent tile and stone rubble and some 2nd century AD pottery.

National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, SY 69 SE 385 (Index). SDO9937.

<1> Bellamy, P S, 1991, Observations at Merchant’s Garage, High West Street, Dorchester, 1983. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 41-54 (Article in serial). SDO9677.

<2> Bellamy, P S, 1983, Merchant's Garage, High West Street, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO10188.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:31PM