SDO15196 - Replacement Gas Main from Icen Way Depot to Casterbridge Trading Estate, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Observations and Recording

‘An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Terrain Archaeology between September 2007 and March 2008 during groundworks associated with the replacement of a gas main between Icen Way Depot and Casterbridge Trading Estate, Dorchester. The remains of a N-S Roman road were observed in Icen Way. This forms part of a Roman street previously seen in Durngate Street and behind High East Street. The street appeared to be constructed over earlier deposits within a coombe running down to the river Frome. A thick deposit of Roman road gravels were also exposed close to the junction of Icen Way and High East Street. These may be part of a Roman street running from the Roman West Gate, somewhere in the vicinity of the Top O’Town, to the bottom of High East Street. Further hard-packed gravels were found at the junction of Icen Way and Wollaston Road, which do not appear to fit into the Roman street pattern. A small area of chalk rubble, probably part of the Roman town rampart was exposed in Salisbury Street.’