SDO11543 - Old Brow, Bimport, Shaftesbury, Dorset. Results of an archaeological evaluation.

An archaeological evaluation, by means of trench excavation, in the gardens of Old Brow, Bimport, Shaftesbury was carried out by AC archaeology during May 2003. The western portion of the gardens on the site, but not the area of proposed development, lie within the scheduled area of a 12th century earthwork castle and medieval farmstead (Monument no. Dorset 149). The whole of the site also lies within the likely area of the Saxon burh of Shaftesbury, which at Castle Hill recreation field, immediately to the east of the site, is a scheduled ancient monument (Monument no. Dorset 838). The evaluation comprised the excavation of five trenches totalling 23.2m2, all located within the footprint of the proposed new building. There was no evidence in any of the trenches for activity associated with the two adjacent scheduled monuments, and only small quantities of medieval pottery and animal bone was recovered. Based on the variable depth of overburden across the site, it appears that extensive landscaping has taken place, probably during the late 1940s. However, a localised layer in Trench 5, located in the SW corner of the proposed development area, contained moderate quantities of worked flint and chert which is likely to date to the middle or later part of the Mesolithic period. This layer was restricted to the NE corner of the trench only and not identified in any other trench, although it is possible that the recent ladnscaping may have removed evidence for this layer elsewhere.