EDO4792 - Middle Farm, Bridport Road, Poundbury, Dorchester; Trench C

Wessex Archaeology conducted an archaeological evaluation during February 1990, on a field east of Middle Farm, Dorchester, in advance of housing development. Fifteen machine trenches, covering some 2280 square metres, (1.9% of the development area) were excavated. Four trenches contained no visible features (Trenches E, J, K, M); two trenches only natural tree holes (Trenches A & P). The remaining 11 trenches contained archaeological features. These included nine ditch segments, one small pit, three ?marl pits, one articulated cow burial and three modern post-holes. Trench C measured 50m x 2.25m and was aligned E-W within the NW part of the site. It contained a single N-S ditch, 19.5m from the eastern end of the trench. It had a steep 'V' profile, was 1.4m wide, 0.73m deep, and was filled with yellowish-brown silty clay. No datable artefacts were recovered from it, but it may be part of the Bronze Age field system that covered this area.