EDO3732 - Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Trench 2

Trench 2, together with trenches 1 and 3, comprised the first phase of archaeological excavations conducted by Wessex Archaeology in advance of the proposed Wessex Court retail development, Charles Street, Dorchester. It was located in the NE corner of the development site, in order to investigate the area of the eastern Roman street frontage, close to Greyhound Yard. Trench 2 was in an area of deep medieval and post-medieval soils and only a very small area of earlier stratigraphy could be investigated safely. The natural chalk was sealed by a pre-urban soil and parts of four early Roman pits were exposed. The pits were sealed by a brown soil, containing mainly 1st-2nd century AD pottery, which filled a terrace previously occupied by an early Roman building. No structural evidence relating to the late Roman period was identified and this area may have been a garden during this period. Two phases of post-medieval barn were identified. The earliest phase, of possible 16th century date, was post-built. It was sealed by a later stone barn with flagged floor.