Monument record MDO19292 - Marabout Barracks, Marabout Industrial Estate, Dorchester; ?Iron Age Ditch

Observations by Christopher Sparey Green during construction work on the site of the Marabout Industrial Estate in 1982 revealed a large ditch running NNW-SSE. It was a large V-shaped ditch with some evidence for the recutting of the base. The scale of this ditch was similar to the Iron Age defences at Poundbury and a similar date for this ditch has been proposed. No dating evidence was recovered.

Observations by Christopher Sparey Green during construction work on the site of the Marabout Industrial Estate in 1982 revealed a large ditch running NNW-SSE across the site. It was traced for a distance of about 60m. A diagonal section was recorded across this ditch, which was about 6.1m wide and 2.8m deep, with a V-shaped profile. There was a double V-shape in the base of the ditch suggesting a recut on the northern side. It was filled with fine chalk rubble and flints at the base with layers of grey-brown chalky soil above. No finds or other dating information was recovered. However, the scale and character of this ditch was similar to the ditches of the defences of Poundbury hillfort, perhaps suggesting they were broadly similar in date (1). This ditch has been linked with a series of other large ditches observed around Dorchester, a number of which are pre-Roman in date, that Christopher Sparey Green has tentatively suggested as forming part of an oppidum (2).

The ditch continued beyond the edges of the observed site. Surprisingly, no sign of the ditch was noted during the watching brief undertaken by AC archaeology in 1997 at Hollands House, Poundbury Road (4), which crossed the projected line of the ditch to the south. No trace of the ditch has been found further north either.

<1> Sparey Green, C, 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1982. Volume 1: The Settlements, 45 (Monograph). SDO9630.

<2> Sparey Green, C J, 1986, 'Earthworks of Prehistoric or Early Roman Date in the Dorchester Area' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society., 193-4 (Article in serial). SDO10086.

<3> Sparey Green, C, 1966-1979, Poundbury, Grove Trading Estate, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO10096.

<4> Mcmahon, P and Richards, J, 1997, An Archaeological Watching Brief at Hollands House, Poundbury Road, Dorchester, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO10090.

Record last edited

Apr 18 2007 5:56AM