SDO15832 - Leigh Road School Site, Wimborne Minster. Archaeological Evaluation Report

‘Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Wyatt Homes, to undertake an archaeological evaluation of a 3.8 hectare parcel of land located at Brookside Manor, Leigh Road, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 2BZ centred on NGR 40280647, 0998426. The evaluation, consisting of eleven 30m x 1.6m trial trenches of a proposed thirteen trenches (2% sample of Site) targeted on geophysical anomalies from a preceding survey, was undertaken between the 24 July and 28 July 2017. Three archaeological features were identified along with two irregular features, probably caused by rooting, that contained artefacts. The pottery recovered covered a timespan from the Bronze Age to the medieval and was mostly heavily abraded. This suggests that it was residual, but is indicative of nearby human activity. A shallow gully recorded in Trench 12 was the only archaeological feature that contained dateable material but, again it was very abraded sherds of pottery. The evidence from this evaluation does not suggest any relationship to the Roman road (Scheduled Monument 1018028) 200m to the south east of the Site. During the previous evaluation on the Site ditches dating to the late Iron Age/Romano-British period were recorded, but also with no direct relationship to the Roman Road. The small number of archaeological features present and artefacts found suggests general background activity within the vicinity but no significant activity within the Site, itself.’