SDO178 - Archaeological Observations at Grimstone Dairy, Stratton 1989

In August 1989 the Trust for Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by John Stark & Partners to conduct an intermittent watching-brief on an area of farmland on which a house for the farm manager was to be built (West Dorset District Council Planning Application No: 1/E/89/0441R). Plans for the extent of work were sent to the Trust by John Stark & Partners, which followed that c 650m of the field would be affected by topsoil stripping and general landscaping, and that within the area some 200m of subsoil should be directly affected by the construction of the house foundations themselves. The complete lack of archaeological features and minimal recovery of finds was surprising in view of the pleasant aspect of the site and its proximity to known archaeological material. It is therefore suggested that the course of the Roman road is slightly to the south of the present track past the field, and that any access development between the Celtic settlement to the north and the Roman road occurred to the east of the site along the present access route and field boundaries. The Bronze Age hoard, by its very nature, need not be indicative of a nearby settlement or other contemporary activity.