Monument record MDO2497 - Burial at Slyer's Lane, Stinsford

An inhumation burial of probable Roman date was found in 1841 on the west side of Slyer’s Lane. A report in the Gentleman’s Magazine described it as resting on a block of Portland stone with nails indicating a wooden coffin.

A stone coffin of parallelogram form, cut from a single block of Portland oolite was found circa 1841 in the west bank of Slyar's Lane on Mr. Cull's farm at Coker's Frome, about a mile north-east of Dorchester. It contained a skeleton which had apparently been enclosed in a wooden 'coffin' as the many oxidised nails found with the burial suggested. The coffin was about three feet below the level of the adjoining field, and had probably been deposited prior to the formation of the lane, the gradual wearing down of which had exposed one end of it. <1>

"In 1841 an inhumation was found on the wet side of Slyer's Lane (perhaps near SY 703915); it rested on a block of Portland stone, and nails indicated a wooden coffin". <2>

<1> Gomme, G L, 1886, Archaeology: A classified collection of the chief contents of “The Gentleman’s Magazine” from 1731-1868. Volume 2., 55 (Monograph). SDO9822.

<1.1> 1841, The Gentleman's Magazine, 303 (Serial). SDO19717.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 1, 257 (Monograph). SDO146.

'In 1841 an inhumation was found on the W. side of Slyer's Lane (perhaps near 703915); it rested on a block of Portland stone, and nails indicated a wooden coffin (Gentleman's Magazine (1841), 393; Arch. Rev. IV (1889), 297)'.

<2.1> 1841, The Gentleman's Magazine, 393 (Serial). SDO19717.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454986 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 24 2023 1:54PM