Monument record MDO18181 - Maiden Castle First School (Prince of Wales First School): Late Iron Age Enclosure 1

A rectilinear enclosure defined by an external ditch and internal bank with an extant entrance on the south side was exposed during excavations by AC archaeology during 1993. A series of postholes representing the remains of a gate structure were found in the south entrance. At least two phases of enclosure ditch were recognised. Originally the enclosure had two entrances, the one to the west was blocked by the second phase ditch. A large number of well preserved features were found in the interior. This enclosure dates to the Late Iron Age.

Part of a rectilinear enclosure was encountered during the 1992 archaeological evaluation of the site of the proposed new Maiden Castle First School (now Prince of Wales First School) by AC archaeology. The area of the enclosure was almost completely exposed during the subsequent excavation in 1993, although very little investigation of this enclosure took place.

The enclosure is defined by a ditch [509] about two metres wide and over 1.5m deep which enclosed an area of about 0.2 acres with an entrance in the south side. Within this entrance causeway were several postholes which probably were part of a gate structure. The former position of an internal bank was apparent in the absence of features in a clear zone parallel to the inner edge of the ditch, which has a slightly raised area of ‘protected’ chalk. The ditch had evidence for more than one period of development. There was evidence for two phases to the ditch on either side of the southern entrance: the squared terminals of an earlier ditch were replaced by more rounded terminals in a later ditch. On the western side of the enclosure there was some evidence for an earlier relatively wide entrance, which had been blocked by a later, slightly narrower, ditch recut.

Within the enclosure were the well preserved remains of three roundhouses, and other structures and activity areas and pits.

Graham, A and Richards, J, 1992, Archaeological Evaluation of the Maiden Castle Road First School Site (Unpublished document). SDO9664.

Graham, A and Richards, J, 1992, Evaluation and Maiden Castle School, Dorchester, 233-234 (Article in serial). SDO9665.

AC Archaeology, 1992, Maiden Castle Road First School (Excavation archive). SDO9666.

Bellamy, P S , Graham, A , and Richards, J, 1993, Dorchester First School, Interim Report on Archaeological Excavations on the Site of the Maiden Castle Road First School, Dorchester, Dorset., 152 (Article in serial). SDO9480.

Graham A H, 1993, Summary Report on Archaeological Excavations on the site of the Maiden Castle Road First School, Dorchester, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO9479.

Record last edited

Jul 10 2006 10:19AM