Find Spot record MDO788 - Roman finds from Watcombe Bottom, Charminster

Investigation of a small field system at Watcombe Bottom revealed a concentration of Romano-British roof-tile fragments (tegulae and imbrices) and pottery sherds including Samian Ware, New Forest Ware and coarse sandy wares, in ploughsoil on the north side of the coombe. Threre are no surface signs of a settlement nor any apparent interruption of the field pattern.

`Celtic' fields in Watcombe Bottom.

(SY 656961) are related to a probable settlement of Romano-British date on the N gentler, slope, in arable ground.
Tegulae, imbrices and pottery, with some Samian slip-coated New Forest ware, were scattered for at least 50 yds about 65759608.
(a) A lynchet ran N-S through this area, suggesting that the settlement lay partly over 'Celtic' fields. W of this, faint traces of probably ditched features appear on air photographs.
(b) A double-lynchet track approached the settlement area from the S. Two 'Celtic' fields across the valley floor E of this were 22 yds and 26 yds wide and up to 150 yds long. Lynchets reached 11ft high at the foot of the steep valley side S of these. (1)

North of the fence which runs east-west along Watcombe Bottom all remains of the field system and associated settlement have been ploughed out.

South of this fence lynchets remain in a good state of preservation with heights of up to 1.5m over an area of about 6.0ha, centred at SY 658959. (2)

<1> Royal Air Force, 09-Mar-48, APs (RAF CPE/UK/2475 3187-8, APs (RAF CPE/UK/2475 3187-8 (Article in monograph). SDO17963.

<2> Royal Air Force, 09-MAR-48, RAF/CPE/UK/2475 4215-6 (Aerial Photograph). SDO17964.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1956, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1954, 75 (Serial). SDO54.

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, RCHME Inventory: Dorset III (Central) (Index). SDO14738.

A large collection of archive relating to the RCHME Dorset Inventory Volume III, published in 1970. It contains field surveys and excavation archive. Parish files containing original surveys have been given child collection status.

<5> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 322 (Monograph). SDO136.

<6> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 10-OCT-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452993 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 21 2022 1:55PM