Monument record MDO19406 - Bridport Road chalk pit, Dorchester

A large chalk pit of probable late 18th - early 19th century date. The pit was used as Dorchester's refuse tip from 1889 to 1901/2. It was excavated by ALD Archaeology in 2005. Two distinct layers of refuse were found in the pit. The lower layer was heavily scavenged and raked over. The upper layer had been tipped in from the edge of the pit in the northeast and the upper part had been heavily burnt.

A large chalk pit of probable late 18th or early 19th century date was later used for the disposal of refuse from Dorchester between 1889 and 1901-2. The pit was excavated in 2005 by ALD Archaeology (1) (2).

The chalk pit was roughly circular in shape and measured about 60m by 65m across and was up to about 5m deep. It had sloping sides on all but the south, where the ground level was much lower and the slope was shallower and formed an entrance into the pit. There was an area of secondary chalk quarrying on the western side, which appears to date to the 1890s.

In 1889 this chalk pit was selected as Dorchester's refuse disposal site and tipping commenced on 25 March 1889. The earliest refuse deposits in the pit were a series of horizontal layers, which appeared to be brought in through the entrance of the chalk pit to the south. These layers appear to have been very heavily scavenged and the refuse raked level as part of this process. Later, the waste was tipped over the edge of the pit from the northeast. There was extensive burning of the refuse, particularly in the final years of the life of the dump. The site was closed in March 1900. However, burning continued, in order to create more space and the site was reopened for 6-7 months in late 1901/ early 1902.

Very little metal was recovered, probably largely due to scavenging. Some animal bone was also noted. Pottery was not collected systematically, but a small sample retained, including 19th century industrial whitewares and local coarseware pottery, probably from Verwood. The glass bottles, jars, pot lids, etc were more systematically collected and provide invaluable detailed evidence. Most of the bottles, jars, pot lids, etc date to the late 1880s to late 1890s and were contemporary to the site. There was also quite a number of earlier items dating to the period 1870-1885. A very few earlier items were also found, including some early-mid Victorian medicine bottles, some Denby stoneware bottles with potters marks dating to c. 1845, and one green glass snuff jar dating to c. 1800-1820.

<1> ALD archaeology, 2007, Late Victorian refuse dump, Middle Farm, Dorchester (Unpublished document). SDO10205.

<2> Orman, D, 2005, 'ALD Excavations in Dorchester' CBA Wessex News, 6 (Article in serial). SDO10202.

Record last edited

Mar 21 2011 10:22AM