SDO14672 - Dorchester Combined Park & Ride and Trunk Road Service Area. Detailed Gradiometer Survey Report

‘A detailed gradiometer survey was conducted over land off A354, directly south of Dorchester, Dorset. The project was commissioned by Buro Happold Ltd. with the aim of establishing the presence, or otherwise, and nature of detectable archaeological features on the site ahead of a proposed development. The site comprises a pasture field directly east of A354 and directly south of A35 (Dorchester bypass), bound on the east side by a railway with a second smaller area situated to the east of the railway, totalling 7.5ha. However, the smaller site was found to be overgrown and therefore unsurveyable, so a total of 6.4ha were surveyed. The site slopes gently up from the north before rising up sharply towards the southeastern extents. The survey has demonstrated the presence of a few anomalies of possible archaeological interest within the survey area, along with regions of increased magnetic response and several modern services. The majority of detected anomalies appear to relate to agricultural activity with ploughing scars of at least two phases and other weak linear trends that may relate to divisions marked on the 1844 Fordington tithe map. The only anomalies of possible interest are a few small positive anomalies that may represent pits or postholes; it should be noted a geological explanation for their formation is also possible. It has not been possible to establish the significance of these potential archaeological remains. A number of modern services interpreted as pipes were detected within the Site, seemingly converging in the north west of the Site. Three of the four pipe sections extend beyond the limits of the geophysical survey area but one appears to terminate in the middle of the field. Extensive magnetic disturbance associated with the services and numerous small-scale ferrous responses were seen throughout the dataset. The geophysical survey was undertaken between 22nd and 24th September 2014.’