Monument record MDO6881 - Roman saltmaking site, Boat House Clump, Upton, Poole

The remains of a Romano-British saltmaking site was discovered close to Boat House Clump to the south of Upton House during the laying of the Turlin Moor-Poole pipeline in July 1985. It comprised a layer of briquetage from Fitzworth containers, together with some bars, props and kiln debris, a small pit, ditch and a saltboiling hearth. These have been dated to the 2nd-early 3rd century on pottery evidence.

The laying of a new sewer pipe line (Turlin Moor-Poole pipeline) in July 1985 cut through a Romano-British saltworking site which was salvage recorded by Poole Museums Service. (1)

The remains of the saltworking site comprised a layer of red briquetage up to about 0.4m thick and traced for about 11m, which lay beneath the topsoil and above a black podsol layer. At the northeast end of the briquetage layer was a small ditch 0.4m deep and a small pit 0.8m wide and 0.8m deep, which the excavators suggest originally had a lining. The function of this pit is unclear. About twenty-nine metres southwest of the briquetage layer was an oven, probably originally rectangular, which had a clay lining and had a layer of sooty black sand at the base. It contained a large quantity of briquetage from Fitzworth containers, together with some bars, props and kiln debris. Dating evidence comprised a small quantity of oxidised Black Burnished Ware pottery which is tentatively dated to the 2nd-early 3rd century. (2)

<1> Horsey, I, and Jarvis, K, 1985, Council for British Archaeology: Group 12: Newsletter Vol 1985 Page(s) 14, 14 (Article in serial). SWX3235.

Observations along a sewer pipe line near Boat House Clump, Upton revealed a section of the Hamworthy Roman Road (RR4d). Between the road and Holes Bay a layer of briquetage 9.0m long, an oven/kiln and a tank were salvage recorded. It was a good example of a C2nd/C3rd salt production site.

<2> Jarvis, K S, 1985, 'Boat-House Clump, Upton- A Romano-British Saltworking Site' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, p159-162 (Article in serial). SWX2998.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 887333 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 5 2023 4:15PM