Monument record MDO23257 - Building, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School site, King Street, Wimborne Minster

A large beam slot, interpreted as part of a building. The feature could not itself be dated, but pre-dated medieval features, and a Saxon or early medieval date has been suggested.

Small scale excavations carried out on the south side of King Street, south west of the Minster indicated that occupation was mainly 12th in date, earlier features, notably a beam slot, and 10th/11th century pottery demonstrate some Saxon activity within the area. Medieval structures were concentrated in the northern part of the area along King Street. There were no traces of the conjectured Medieval or earlier boundaries on the site. <1>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1983, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1983, 151-152 (Serial). SDO83.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1985, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1984, 77-86 (Serial). SDO84.

'It is possible that the earliest structural feature found, a large beam slot, in trench A lying parallel with King Street, was part of a building of Saxon date. The slot had been replaced by a line of post holes, and both these structural phases pre-dated the 12th/13th century activity found on the site. The Saxon ecclesiastical foundation at Wimborne, or associated lay settlement, seems therefore to have extended southwards from the minster, and it is hoped that observation of the building work currently in progress on the site may produce further evidence of this and of the nature of the occupation.'

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 888380 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 16 2024 1:52PM