SWX8534 - Wareham Oilfield: Excavations and Observations on the Route of the Pipeline between Well-sites C and D on the Wareham Oilfield

During the summer of 1990 British Petroleum Development Limited constructed a pipeline to carry oil from the two well-sites of the Wareham Oilfield. The route had a total length of 765m running from wellsite C (SY 90570 87200) to a previously-constructed pipeline alongside the Purbeck – Southampton Pipeline (PSP) outside wellsite D (SY 89780 87570). The chosen route crossed the scheduled ancient monument of the Worgret Dykes (SAM 238) and ran adjacent to a scheduled round barrow (SAM 244). Prior to construction works starting, Wessex Archaeology had carried out an archaeological evaluation of the route to determine the presence or absence of other areas of interest, and to develop a strategy acceptable to English Heritage for the crossing of the scheduled monument. This work has been summaries in previously submitted documents, the “Interim Archaeological Report”, covering the contour and geophysical surveys, and the “ Archaeological Test Pit Report”. As part of the construction programme Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by BP to carry out excavation work in scheduled areas, in fulfilment of the requirements of English Heritage and the County Archaeologist, and also to carry out a full watching brief along the rest of the route. This work took place during June and July 1990, the strategy following that outlined in the “Archaeological Project Design” document submitted with the application for scheduled monument consent. At present (August 1990) a second phase of trenching is imminent, and a watching brief will be maintained in sensitive areas. These excavations involved the first full section through dykes. The absence of finds from this section is unsurprising; earlier stages of the project have suggested that no settlement likely to be contemporary with the dykes is to be found within the area, and consequently little material would have been available to be incorporated in the ditches. Proposals are being formulated for the analysis of environment samples, and the production of a report for publication describing all stages of the project, to include a discussion on the form, function and likely date of the dyke system.