Monument record MDO28133 - Timber feature, Hamworthy First School, Hamworthy, Poole

A patch of charcoal and preserved fragments of willow 'planks' and oak roundwood were found during a watching brief on the site of Hamworthy First School in 2003. These wood fragments were not dated and only part of the feature was exposed.

An evaluation and watching brief on the site of Hamworthy First School undertaken by Terrain Archaeology in 2003 revealed an irregular patch of black to dark grey charcoal-rich sandy clay on top of the natural sand. It measured about 1.2 m by 0.6 m across and 0.05 m thick, but continued to the southeast beyond the edge of the trench. A number of fragments of mineralised wood were present in the area close to the edge of the trench (Plate 13). A flat ‘board’ or ‘plank’ of willow or poplar, 100 mm wide and 16 mm thick, was the most prominent piece. Two other possibly similar fragments were lying obliquely to this piece, but were poorly preserved. Two pieces of oak roundwood were also present. There were no other finds within this deposit to date it. The wood was well-preserved but, given the waterlogged conditions present in the trench, this is not surprising. There is no reason why this material is not of Roman date, but there is no evidence to confirm this one way or another.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 200, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 2003, 161 (Serial). SDO12289.

Bellamy, P and Best, J, 2003, New Hamworthy First School, Ashmore Close, Hamworthy, Poole: Archaeological Survey, Observations, and Evaluation, March–April 2003 (Unpublished document). SDO12484.

Record last edited

Feb 20 2012 5:07AM