EDO4365 - Dorchester Hospital Site F, British Legion, West Walks; excavation 1970

Limited Excavation was carried out in the angle between the two ranges of almshouses in West Walk, in 1970. The work was sponsored by the Dorchester Excavation Committee and formed part of a series of excavations in the SW part of the Roman town. An area of 20sq. m cleared to the natural subsoil. Evidence was found to suggest three main periods of occupation: Roman. Three successive masonry buildings, their associated floor levels, and a single drainage gully, may all be attributed to occupation beginning in the 4th century. The outline of these structures remains uncertain over so limited an area, though each one was set out roughly parallel with the likely line of the town defences. Each of these structures seems to have been of short life, probably as a result of inadequate foundations (1). Medieval. The late Roman walls, floors and floor make-up were extensively robbed at some time in the post-Roman or medieval period. Pottery from these layers contained exclusively 4th century material. Post-Medieval. The ground level was subsequently made up for 0.6m by tips of clay introduced from elsewhwere. Upon this foundation traces of an ephemeral timber building could be recognised on the same line as the Roman structures. This was probably a lean to against a more substantial construction largely beneath the present almshouses. It is provisionalyy viewed as a farm building rather than a town house. After a brief occupation the ground was made up for a further 0.4m but no structure could be recognised.The surface of the later medieval make-up had been largely removed by a series of trenches again running parallel with the town defences. These are probably associated with the preparation of the land in this area for cultivation. It was certainly used in this way by the time of Speed's map of 1610. These trenches were sealed by debris associated with the construction of the almshouses in the early 18th century and by modern garden soil (1)(2).