EDO5094 - Land at the rear of Sherborne House, Newland, Sherborne; desk based assessment

Southern Archaeological Services conducted an archaeological desk based assessment of the area around Sherborne House during 1996 on behalf of the Dorset County Council Valuation and Estates Department. ‘The assessment showed that the site lies in an area of significant Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement, which was unknown until revealed by recent excavations. It could also provide evidence to test the theory of the development of Sherborne from a supposed Romano-British religious enclosure (‘Lanprobi’) into the Saxon settlement of Sherborne. The site is also on the edge of medieval planned borough of Newland and further work could help to clarify the history of the development of Mediaeval Sherborne. Half the site appeared suitable for further investigation, but the western half was overgrown and difficult to access.’ (1)