Monument record MDO18313 - White Hart, High East Street, Dorchester: Post-medieval building

Elements of at least one stone-walled building and a cobbled yard behind of post-medieval date was found during the evaluation excavation of the site of the White Hart Public House, High East Street, by ASI Heritage Consultants in 2004. It is likely that they form part of the building on the street frontage shown on the 1772 map of Dorchester. The cobbled surface is likely to be part of the yard behind the building on the street frontage and a U-shaped building behind.

Part of at least one stone-walled building of post-medieval date was found during the evaluation excavation of the site of the White Hart Public House, High East Street, Dorchester, by ASI Heritage Consultants in 2004 (1).

Stone wall footings were found in both evaluation trenches 1 and 2 running roughly parallel with High East Street and set back about 5-7m from the street frontage. In Trench 1, a stone wall [105] appeared to be set on either an earlier wall or a large pad footing [110]. A wall [107] runnning roughly N-S butted against the north side of the earlier wall/footing. Walls [110] and [107] were sealed beneath a layer of grey silt and rubble over which a yard surface comprising square and triangular panels outline in brick and limestone setts and filled with rough cobbling, which butted against wall [105].

It is difficult, on the basis of the small areas investigated and the recorded descriptions (1), to be able to present a coherent account of these structural elements. Their stratigraphic position, indicates they are post-medieval in date and it is likely that they form part of the building on the street frontage shown on the 1772 map of Dorchester (2). The cobbled surface is likely to be part of the yard behind the building on the street frontage and a U-shaped building behind.

Price, J, 1772, Plan of Dorchester (Map). SDO9548.

Heaton, M, 2004, Land at The White Hart Public House, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SDO9669.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:28PM