EDO4223 - Middle Farm, Bridport Road, Dorchester; Trench 3

An excavation was undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in advance of development by the Duchy of Cornwall. The excavation followed a two-stage trial trenching and fieldwalking evaluation, which had identified a Bronze Age field system. It comprised the excavation of four trenches each approximately 100m x 50m in area, which revealed not only elements of the Bronze Age field system, but associated Late Bronze Age round houses, a series of early and late Neolithic pits, and some Iron Age/Roman marl pits (1) (2). Trench 3, located in the NE corner of the site, contained numerous Early-Middle Bronze Age ditches and gullies forming at least three rectangular enclosures. A number of Bronze Age pits were recorded near the eastern edge of the trench. A late Iron Age/ Roman marl pit cut the corner of one of the Bronze Age enclosures.