Monument record MDO18600 - Colliton Park, Dorchester; Roman Street

The course of a Roman road aligned roughly N-S was exposed in the southern part of Colliton Park during excavations in 1937-1938. The road was not well constructed, but two periods of flint metalling were recognised. The road crossed the 4th century backfilling of the robber trench of a disused water conduit. Two late Roman buildings (V and VI) impinged on the edge of the road and the later metalling was much narrower between these buildings. The road was probably constructed in the late 1st or early 2nd century, but no dating evidence for initial construction was found. Only three of the buildings in this area appear to be aligned on the road (Colliton Park Buildings II, V, VII), suggesting that it was probably not a major feature used in the laying out of this part of the town. No dating evidence is known for the period of disuse of this road, but is probably late 4th century or later.

The course of a Roman road aligned roughly N-S was exposed in a number of cuttings during excavations in Colliton Park in 1937-1938. Due to the outbreak of World War II, the excavations were never completed or written up. The following account is based on the interim reports (1) (2) and the Royal Commission Inventory entry (3).

The road was traced for about 79m across the southern part of Colliton Park, but no trace was picked up in the northern part. The complete road surface did not survive in any of the cuttings across it. It was about 4.5m wide and comprised a layer of flints and small stones laid directly on the natural chalk or over fillings of earlier features. A later metalling of similar character was found on top, separated by a layer of soil. To the south, the street had only a single metalling and it crossed the backfilling of the robber trench of a disused water conduit. Two late Roman buildings (V and VI) impinged on the edge of the road and the later metalling was much narrower between these buildings.

The date of construction of the road is not clear from the 1930s excavation, but excavation of the street further north in 1988 suggested it was constructed in the late 1st or early 2nd century (4). The road was built over the backfill of the conduit, which apparently contained 4th century AD sherds, suggesting that in this part it must have been remade in the 4th century. Only three of the buildings in this area appear to be aligned on this road (Buildings II, V, VII), suggesting that it was probably not a major feature used in the laying out of this part of the town. (The majority of buildings in Colliton Park appear to have been set out using the alignment of the defences instead.) No dating evidence is known for the period of disuse of this road.

National Record of the Historic Environment, 1430670 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, SY 69 SE 330 (Index). SDO9937.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1937-1938, Colliton Park, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO10066.

Smith, R J C, 1993, Excavations at County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Dorset, 1988 in the North-West Quarter of Durnovaria (Monograph). SDO9660.

<1> Drew, C D, and Collingwood Selby, K C, 1937, First Interim report on the Excavations at Colliton Park, Dorchester, 1937-1938. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 59, 1-14 (Article in serial). SDO9764.

<2> Drew, C D, and Collingwood Selby, K C, 1938, 'The Excavations at Colliton Park, Dorchester: Second Interim report; Excavations carried out in the season of 1938' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 64 (Article in serial). SDO9765.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 552, Dorchester no. 180; p553-560, nos.182-187; p572 no. 215c-e (Monograph). SDO149.

'(180) STREET, traced at Colliton Park in 1938 by C. D. Drew and K. C. C. Selby for some 90 yds. (69029080 to 69009089; Fig. p. 554). No remains survived to the N., where it could have been joined by the paths leading E. from the 4th-century house (182). The alignment of 349° suggests that, although of inferior construction, it was a continuation of street (178). It was perhaps about 15 ft. wide but the metalling, consisting of a thin skin of unmortared flints and small stones laid carelessly on the natural Chalk or over the fillings of earlier features, was nowhere found complete. A later metalling of similar character and condition was laid above it, over deposits of earth and debris. Monuments (186) and (187) encroached on the original line, and the remetalling was substantially reduced in width between them. To the S. the street, represented by a single metalling, crossed the filling of a disused water conduit, Monument (227b), which, according to MS. lists in D.C.M., here contained 4th-century sherds. If the conduit was originally covered or bridged, the street may have been part of the earlier town plan despite the evident lateness of the metalling here. (Dorset Procs. LX (1938), 64, pls. ix and x; site notebooks, section drawings, in D.C.M.) .'

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:30PM