Monument record MDO18562 - Alington Avenue Roman Droveway

Evidence for a Roman droveway, was discovered during excavations at Alington Avenue. This lay on the north side of the R-shaped enclosure and was defined by the northern boundary ditches of the D-shaped enclosure on its south side and by further parallel ditches 6m to the north on its north side. It ran in a slightly curving course in a SW-NE direction across the northern part of the main excavation site, continuing into 1984 evaluation Trench F. This may represent the formalisation of a pre-existing route during the 2nd century AD. The defining ditches went through at least two phases of re-cutting and probably continued in use into the 4th century.

Found during a series of archaeological evaluations and excavations conducted by Wessex Archaeology at Alington Avenue, Fordington, Dorchester, between 1984-1987. The results of the excavations have been published as a Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Monograph (DNHAS Monograph 15). The numbers in square brackets below refer to the context and feature numbers used in the published reports (1).

The Roman droveway lay on the north side of the R-shaped enclosure and was defined by the northern boundary ditches of the D-shaped enclosure [520/550] on its south side and by further parallel ditches 6m to the north [2207/2209] on its north side. It ran in a slightly curving course in a SW-NE direction across the northern part of the main excavation site, continuing into 1984 evaluation Trench F. This may represent the formalisation of a pre-existing route during the 2nd century AD. The defining ditches went through at least two phases of re-cutting and probably continued in use into the 4th century.

<1> Davies, S M, Bellamy, P S , Heaton, M J , and Woodward, P J, 2002, Excavations at Alington Avenue, Fordington, Dorchester, Dorset, 1984-87 (Monograph). SDO9565.

Record last edited

Feb 26 2010 12:53PM