SDO21238 - Archaeological Monitoring and Recording Report: Dorchester 33kV Cable Route

‘Between the 15th of January and the 14th of May 2024, RSK ADAS Limited carried out archaeological monitoring and recording of groundworks for a new 33kV underground electricity cable and fibre route. The Scheme was carried out between The Grove Road, Dorchester at the northern end and Dorchester substation (due north of the Iceland Supermarket Dorchester, off Trinity Street) at the southern end. These archaeological monitoring was commissioned by Freedom Group Limited on behalf of Scottish and Southern Energy Network. The groundworks for the Scheme were carried out within the Client’s Permitted Development Rights, and were not subject to a planning application. As a section of the cable route ran through the Dorchester Roman Walls Scheduled Monument (Historic England Ref: 1002449), Scheduled Monument Consent (S00244065) was obtained from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The archaeological monitoring revealed significant archaeology related to the Roman defensive system of Dorchester, namely the rampart, wall remains, and possibly a ditch. These remains were concentrated along the southern section of the cable trench along West Walks Way (adjacent to Borough Gardens). The results confirm that archaeology in the area of the Dorchester Roman Walls Scheduled Monument survives beneath modern surfaces, even in areas heavily impacted by services and ground disturbance. Three sherds of Dorset black burnished ware (DOR BB1) pottery were recovered from the rampart deposit (88), which was dated to roughly the 2nd century AD. All other Roman pottery was recovered from Post medieval and Modern deposits within the Dorchester Roman Wall Scheduled Monument. Deposit (65) contained Roman pottery and Post-medieval artefacts which might possibly have been from a later infill of the Roman defensive ditch. No archaeological features or deposits were observed along the northern section of the cable trench between The Top O’Town Roundabout and the Lidl due to heavy truncation by existing services within the modern road. The monitoring results indicate that the methodology was effective in ensuring that impacts from the groundworks on buried archaeology were either appropriately mitigated or avoided. The general and specific aims of the archaeological monitoring as detailed in Chapter 5 of the Written Scheme of Investigation (ADAS, 2023) were achieved. In carrying out this work, Freedom Group Limited complied with their obligations to the treatment of the historic environment under Section 38 of the Electricity Act 1989 and have complied the conditions of the Scheduled Monument Consent (S00244065) under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.’