Monument record MDO2362 - Newland/ Hound Street junction; human burials

Three W-E aligned human burials were found with graves cut into bedrock at the junction of Newland and Hound Street during road widening works circa. 1955. These appear to be related to a possible graveyard associated with a ‘lost’ church of St. Swithin.

Widening of the road junction at Newland and Hound Street disclosed shallow graves containing three inhumations. <1> <2>

This find spot seems to form part of a wider monument. Other finds of W-E aligned burials have subsequently been recorded to the south of Newland and at its junctions with St Swithins’ Road and Hound Street (monuments 1 101 146, 1 101 147, 1 101 144A). It has been suggested that this forms a Christian cemetery, possibly associated with a putative old chapel site of St. Swithin. <2>

The three inhumations were aligned with their feet to the east. No artefacts or dating evidence was found with the burials. <3>

<1> Bean, C E, 1955, Remains of old road metal and other discoveries in Sherborne; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, p.144-5 (Article in serial). SDO10247.

<2> Bean, C E, 1956, Newland and Hound Street, Sherborne; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, p.88 (Article in serial). SDO10311.

‘Widening of the road junction [Newland and Hound Street] disclosed the heads of some three skeletons in shallow graves in the bed-rock, laid with their feet in an easterly direction. No associated remains were found. a trench down to bed-rock was seen 90 feet south of Newland, in which 13th and 14th century pottery occurred. Whilst investigating the history of the site it was found that a society of friends’ burial ground formerly existed behind their meeting house in George Street.’

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1957, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1956, 88 (Serial). SDO56.

<3> Cherryson, A K, 2006, Gazetteer of Early Medieval Sites, 37 (Unpublished document). SDO17464.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 887568 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 1:09PM