SDO10355 - Summary report on an archaeological evaluation at Sherborne Abbey Primary School replacement site Lenthay Road, Sherborne, Dorset.

An archaeological evaluation was carried out by Southern Archaeological Services Ltd on land at the western end of Lenthay Road, Sherborne, Dorset in advance of the proposed building of the Sherborne Abbey Primary School replacement site, between 12 and 19 January 1998. The land belonged to Dorset County Council. Nine trenches each 30m long and 1.80m wide (except one which was 29.00m long and one that was 1.50m wide) were excavated by JCB. Two trenches were in a field that had been recently ploughed and the other seven in a field given over to pasture. Two possible ring features were observed in the ploughed field, with diameters between 15m and 19m. Though there were no dateable finds there is a possibility that they are the remains of ploughed out Bronze Age barrows. Other evidence included ditches, two small annular features, both 1.40m in diameter, small pits or post-holes and stake-holes. Those in the pasture field lay below 1.2m of hill-wash, which suggests some antiquity. Though there were no dateable finds it may be that some, at least, are agricultural features with the nearby Roman villa 150m to the southwest. Evidence of Mediaeval to Modern land drains and a grubbed-out field boundary were also observed.