SDO14697 - Land at Parmiter Drive, Wimborne, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation Report.

‘Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Lewis Wyatt (Construction) Ltd to undertake an archaeological field evaluation on land at Parmiter Drive, Wimborne, Dorset, in support of their planning application for ‘Construction of New Football Pitches with Clubhouse, Stands, Changing Facilities and Parking; 81 Dwellings; Allotments and Teenage Activity Space with Associated Open Space, Landscaping and Highways and Change of Use of Agricultural Land to Sang’: Planning Application Reference – 3/15/0839/FUL. The field evaluation was undertaken between the 3rd and 13th of November and consisted of 25 evaluation trenches measuring 30 x 2 m. These were targeted, where possible, on potential archaeological features identified during the previous geophysical survey, as well as testing blank areas and the projected route of a hypothetical Roman road. A substantial penannular ring ditch was identified in Trench 14 and is likely to represent the remains of a prehistoric barrow, although no human remains were observed within the trench. Trench 2 was designed to target a similar feature identified by the geophysical survey, but the trench was relocated due to the constraint of overhead power cables. Several substantial ditches were also identified in Trenches 1, 8, 11 and 12. No dating evidence was recovered from the east – west aligned ditch in Trench 1. The east – west aligned ditch in Trench 8 was cut by a small pit containing a complete Food Vessel dating to the Early Bronze Age. A substantial ditch terminus measuring approximately 2.7 m wide and 1.17 m deep was recorded in Trench 12. The ditch had been deliberately backfilled with gravel material and a cremation burial had been placed in the terminus. A single radiocarbon date was obtained from the human bone. The result is consistent with a Late Neolithic date and indicates that the burial was made at some point during 2840-2490 cal BC. The ditch appeared to continue into Trench 11, where it was truncated by a modern geotechnical pit. Several trenches were placed along the projected route of the Roman road, which is thought to have linked the Roman town of Clausentum (located in the modern suburb of Bitterne in Southampton) to a legionary fortress situated west of Wimborne. Although an east – west ridge of slightly higher ground exists in this location, it was characterised by the field team as being geological in nature. No agger material or roadside ditches were present and, in any case, the ridge was cut by prehistoric features.’