SDO14081 - Former Loders Garage, The Grove, Dorchester, Dorset. An archaeological watching brief.

‘Context One Archaeological Services Ltd (COAS) carried out an archaeological watching brief on the site of the former Loders Garage, The Grove, Dorchester, Dorset (centred on NGR SY 68928 91127) over three days between February and April 2011. The project was commissioned and funded by Lidl UK GmbH. The requirement for the archaeological work was made by the Local Planning Authority (West Dorset District Council) on the advice of Mr Steve Wallis (Senior Archaeologist (Advice and Management), Dorset County Council) as a condition of granting planning permission of or the erection of a new Lidl food store. A Heritage Statement supporting the planning application by COAS in March 20150 identified recorded archaeological evidence spanning the prehistoric to post-medieval periods in the environs of the Site although the close proximity of the northern ramparts of Roman Dorchester and a number of human burials form the same period dominate. Despite being located in close proximity to Roman remains, there was no evidence of any archaeological features/deposits from these periods or any other. Pre-development geotechnical data and archaeological monitoring of initial groundworks provided conclusive evidence that the Site has been levelled and raised with imported material during the latter half of the 20th century when the previous garage complex was constructed. Unless any archaeological remains that exist on Site are exceptionally deep and beneath the development formation levels, it is likely that any that once existed have either been removed completely or have suffered heavy truncation.'