Monument record MDO28170 - Roman road remains?, 236 (now 134) Blandford Road, Hamworthy, Poole

H P Smith recorded a ridge of gravel in the back garden of 236 (now renumbered 134) Blandford Road, which he suggested was part of a branch of the Hamworthy-Badbury Rings Roman road thath ran to the south side of the Hamworthy peninsula. Doubt on this identification has been cast by later investigation.

H P Smith recorded that "The ridge [of the Roman road] is prominent in the garden (M) behind Mr G F Mitchener's house, (236, Blandford Road), the crest of the road being roughly 20 yards north of it. I dug here and found 10 inches of compact seashore shingle beneath a foot of surface mould." (1) He proposed that this was part of a branch of the Hamworthy to Badbury Rings road that ran directly to the south side of the Hamworthy peninsula and which he labelled MNO. (1)

Keith Jarvis has suggested that the ridge of gravel which Smith observed was not the Roman road since the natural bedrock of the area is sand and gravel. There is no definite evidence that the was found and suggests this small branch of the road (which H P Smith labelled MNO) may not actually exist. (2)

<1> Smith, H P, 1932, The Hamworthy Section of the Branch Roman Road from Badbury Rings to Poole Harbour, 13 (Article in serial). SWX3198.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1983, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1982, 181-182 (Serial). SDO82.

Record last edited

Jan 16 2013 9:50AM