Monument record MDO18172 - 9 High East Street, Dorchester: Roman road

Part of the surface of a Roman road running roughly N-S was found during the evaluation of land to the rear of 9 High East Street by AC Archaeology in 2005. This road was not excavated, only the upper surface was exposed. No dating evidence was recovered.

Found during the evaluation of land to the rear of 9 High East Street, Dorchester, by AC archaeology in 2005. Two trenches were excavated and part of the upper surface of a Roman road was exposed in both trenches. The full width of the road was not exposed in either trench, but its projected width is about five metres. It appears to run roughly N-S. Only the upper surface of this road was exposed and it was not excavated (1).

The upper surface of the road comprised rammed or compacted flint gravels and there appeared to be a slight camber to the road. Along the west side the road surface dips down into a linear hollow, perhaps indicating the presence of an original side ditch to this road,which may have been sealed by a later remetalling of the road.

Further traces of what is probably the same road have been found to the south, where it cuts across Durngate Street (2).

<1> Robinson, S, and Schorn, V, 2005, 9 High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset: Results of an Archaeological Trench Evaluation (Unpublished document). SDO9472.

<2> Bellamy, P, 2002, New Water Main, Durngate Street, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Observations and Recording, January 2002 (Unpublished document). SDO16755.

<2> Bellamy, P, 2002, New Water Main, Durngate Street, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Observations and Recording (Unpublished document). SDO9451.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:27PM