SDO9454 - An Archaeological Watching Brief during refurbishment and redevelopment of the Old Foundry, High Street, Fordington, Dorchester, Dorset

An archaeological watching brief was conducted by AC Archaeology during the excavation of new foundation trenches at the site of the former foundry, High Street, Fordington, Dorchester, during July and August 1997. Although previous archaeological investigations in the area adjacent to the foundry site indicated a high potential for the survival of in situ archaeological remains, no evidence was found to suggest that any significant structures or deposits earlier than the post-medieval period exist on the site. A small assemblage of finds of an earlier dated was recovered, including a tessera and four possible fragments of Roman roof tile, although these were residual, from post-medieval contexts. The only securely stratified finds recovered from the site were of post-medieval date and came from a large pit, and one of only two cut features observed during the watching brief; the other being a poorly defined, possibly linear, feature which did not yield any dating evidence. A substantial depth of deposits, up to 3 m , was present below existing floor levels, except on the south side of the site where a rise in the level of the chalk bedrock was evident. This may result either from a natural slope in the bedrock or is evidence for widespread and total truncation of the area prior to the construction of the foundry. The former would seem the most likely explanation, indicating that the substantial Roman building excavated earlier this century under Fordington High Street may have been set on a chalk spur slightly elevated above the floodplain of the River Frome.