SDO15378 - Sandford Heritage Project Excavations October 2011

Excavations as part of the Sandford Heritage Project to investigate the history of a track known locally as 'the Roman Road' and the banks and ditches on its north side. This revealed no evidence of a Roman Road under or north of the track and showed that a boundary stone located close to the road dated to the 18th century. The banks and ditches were thought likely to have been formed in the course of ground preparation for tree plantations. Excavations were also conducted at a site at Holton Lee in a field known as Park Field where Bournemouth University had previously conducted trial-trenching and medieval pottery had been found. Pottery sherds were recovered dating to mid/late 12th century to early 13th century possibly relating to nearby settlement.