SDO12211 - Former Pilkington Tiles Factory Site, Shapwick Road, Hamworthy, Poole. Archaeological Evaluation Stages 1 and 2

A total of seven evaluation trenches were excavated in two stages. The first stage comprised three trenches evaluating the area undisturbed by previous industrial development. Archaeological features were found in all three trenches, sealed below a layer of soil build-up at least 0.7m thick. The most significant feature was a large ditch with fairly large quantities of Late Iron Age/Early Roman Pottery, dating to the 1st century BC/AD, in its upper levels, found in Trench 2. The other trenches revealed some small boundary or drainage ditches, again probably late Iron Age/ Early Roman in date. A geophysical survey was undertaken on this area. It revealed another linear anomaly, on the same scale as the large ditch, and running parallel to it. It is suggested that these features may be part of the defences of a Late Iron Age port and emporium on the end of the Hamworthy peninsula. The second stage of evaluation comprised four trenches excavated in the areas of former development. The only archaeology revealed was a buried soil of probable Late Iron Age/ Early Roman date in Trench 4. However, the other trenches demonstrated that there is still the potential for surviving archaeological remains despite the disturbance from earlier industrial buildings.