Monument record MDO28132 - Parallel Roman ditches, Hamworthy First School, Hamworthy, Poole

Three parallel Roman ditches oriented roughly N-S, were found during a watching brief on the site of Hamworthy First School in 2003. They may be part of a widespread Roman ditch system seen elsewhere on the Hamworthy peninsula.

An evaluation and watching brief on the site of Hamworthy First School undertaken by Terrain Archaeology in 2003 revealed traces of three parallel ditches running roughly N-S and spaced between 20-30 m apart. The ditches survived between 0.6 m and 1.8 m wide and between 0.3 m and 0.6 m deep. They were filled with grey silty sand and contained abraded fragments of Roman pottery and briquetage. One ditch had evidence of a recut. These ditches may be part of the Roman ditch system seen to the east at Shapwick Road, but are on a slightly different alignment.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 200, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 2003, 161 (Serial). SDO12289.

Bellamy, P and Best, J, 2003, New Hamworthy First School, Ashmore Close, Hamworthy, Poole: Archaeological Survey, Observations, and Evaluation, March–April 2003 (Unpublished document). SDO12484.

Record last edited

Feb 20 2012 4:28AM