Monument record MDO19088 - Fairfield, Dorchester; ?Roman building

A possible Roman building (or buildings) on the site of Dorchester Market has been suggested by R A H Farrar, on the basis of the discovery of a 'well-made Roman mortar floor' observed by Edward Cunnington in the foundation trench of a wall at the northeast corner of the market and the discovery of a 'coloured tessellated pavement' seen in about 1935 in a trench dug in the market. The precise location of the tessellated pavement is not known and consequently the likelihood of the two observations belonging to the same structure is unknown. The correct identification of the Roman mortar floor in the wall footings trench is also uncertain. Observations by AC archaeology in this area in 2001 did not reveal any Roman structural evidence in the vicinity. In conclusion, the existence of a substantial Roman building just outside the Roman town defences on the Market site must remain highly speculative and await further discoveries in this area.

A possible Roman building (or buildings) on the site of Dorchester Market has been suggested by R. A. H. Farrar (1), on the basis of the discovery of a 'well-made Roman mortar floor' observed by Edward Cunnington in the foundation trench of a wall at the northeast corner of the market (2) and the discovery of a 'coloured tessellated pavement' seen in about 1935 in a trench dug in the market (1). The precise location of the tessellated pavement is not known and consequently the likelihood of the two observations belonging to the same structure. The correct identification of the Roman mortar floor in the wall footings trench is also uncertain. Observations by AC archaeology in this area in 2001 did not reveal any Roman structural evidence (3) in the vicinity.

The existence of a substantial Roman building just outside the Roman town defences on the Market site must remain highly speculative and await further discoveries in this area.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 1410236 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 570, no. 211 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2> Buckman, J, 1878, Notes on a pendant from Dorchester. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club (Article in serial). SDO9811.

<3> Hudson, A, 2001, Dorchester, Fairfield Road. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 30-31 (Article in serial). SDO9829.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:36PM