SDO14579 - Archaeological Excavation Report: Canada Farm, Winterborne Stickland, Blandford Forum DT11 9AD

‘Planning permission was granted for the ‘Installation and operation of a solar farm and associated infrastructure’ on land at Canada Farm, Winterborne Stickland, Blandford Forum, Dorset, centred on NGR: ST 851 049. A condition attached to the granting of permission stipulated the need for a programme of archaeological fieldwork, post-excavation analysis and dissemination of the results. Previous site investigations, including an archaeological desk-based assessment, geophysical survey and trial trenching revealed likely prehistoric features, a possible medieval boundary ditch and potential settlement remains in the south-eastern corner of the site. The current excavation focused around areas of archaeological potential that had been highlighted by the preceding scheme of trial trenching. Two areas were opened; the first around evaluation Trench 1, and the second in between Trenches 5 and 6. A smaller area was excavated around Trench 13, and then four small 10m x 2m trenches were excavated in order to track the purported medieval boundary ditch running across the site.’