SDO9726 - Miscellaneous Discoveries and Accessions; Roman Rampart at Colliton Park, Dorchester

The extension in 1961 of car-parking facilities between Colliton Walk and the west drive of the County Hall resulted in the levelling of the rear crest of the Roman town rampart behind the park wall, and the laying of a gravelled hard standing from the existing cycle shed (approximately opposite the west wing of the County Hall) northwards for some 55 yards as far as the sunken area containing the excavated Roman house. Soil from the levelling operations was then spread over the surviving rampart crest west of this sunken area for a further 40 yards, leavig some 25 yards of the rampart untouched to the north-west corner of the park. Full facilities for observation were given as usual by the authorities concerned, but beyond recording the above alterations little effective could be done since the depth of excavation was too shallow to reveal more than a partial section about 5ft high of the upper chalk rubble of the rampart.