EDO6244 - Edward Road, Dorchester; watching brief 2009

Observations and recording during groundworks for residential development. The site had been significantly disturbed by the commencement of development works which appeared to have reduced the ground level on the Site by up to 2.4m and by previous work associated with the railway, primarily comprising a deep cutting. Field work comprised recording of the section running roughly north/ south through the southern half of the Site. Although disturbed by ground clearance work, the exposed section appeared to contain some evidence of previous activity in the area. Potential archaeological remains were investigated and recorderd by excavation and recording, although excavation was limited by the height of the section and the presence of a thick made-ground deposit overlying the remains. Small scale cutting back of the section was made to clarify the form of the features and recover dating evidence and determine stratigraphic relationships. The assumed line of a Roman road was marked using GPS to identify any features or deposits related to this feature. Three possible features were identified in the east facing section: excavation of two of these produced modern materials (brick fragments and the remains of a tin can) and so no further recording of these features was carried out. The third feature was of possible archaeological significance comprising a very large irregular feature in the central part of the site, from which a tiny abraded sherd of Romano-British pottery and a single flint waste flake were recovered. This feature, labelled 103, lies approximately 65m north of the suggested line of the Roman road, and is about 14m wide, 1.5m deep with moderately steep irregular sides and an irregular base. The shape and form of this feature could not be determined, but the irregular shape and scarcity of finds within the fill suggests a natural origin, possible a large natural hollow, pond or some kind of erosion feature or palaeochannel. This feature has similar dimensions and fill materials to a medieval hollow way which are recorded elsewhere in the county. However, no evidence of metalling or wheel ruts were observed in this small section and the projeted alignment is not consistent with the Roman street grid.