Monument record MDO18831 - Nappers Mite, Dorchester; Roman building

Fragments of Roman walls and occupation deposits were exposed during a watching brief undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 1986 on the construction of a new unit of shops behind the Nappers Mite, on Charles Street, Dorchester. Two fragments of wall footings of probable Roman date were exposed, one oriented N-S along the western side of the site and one running E-W in the NE part, together with a small gully 0.4m deep with a low chalk bank adjacent to the east and a pit or well that contained 1st century AD pottery. Significant deposits of Roman occupation material was found the northern and western parts of the site, but no floor or other surfaces were identified. It is unclear whether the walls are boundary walls to yards, etc or are parts of buildings.

Fragments of Roman walls and occupation deposits were exposed during a watching brief undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 1986 on the construction of a new unit of shops behind the Nappers Mite, on Charles Street, Dorchester. Two fragments of wall footings of probable Roman date were exposed, one oriented N-S along the western side of the site and one running E-W in the NE part. The E-W wall comprised a 0.3m wide footing of mortared limestone on a layer of chalk rubble. The N-S wall was of unmortared flint nodule construction 0.6m wide. Adjacent to this wall was a small gully 0.4m deep with a low chalk bank adjacent to the east. Both these latter features were sealed by Roman occupation deposits. Further to the east was a pit or well, the upper fill of which contained 1st century AD Black Burnished Ware pottery. Significant deposits of Roman occupation material was found the northern and western parts of the site, but no floor or other surfaces were identified. It is unclear whether the walls are boundary walls to yards, etc or are parts of buildings.

Pearce, P, and Woodward, P J, 1986, Observations at the Nappers Mite, Charles Street, Dorchester. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 182-183 (Article in serial). SDO9670.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:32PM