SDO16408 - Land at Vearse Farm, Bridport, Dorset. Results of an Archaeological Trench Evaluation

An evaluation was carried out on an area of mixed agricultural land west of Bridport to meet a condition of outline planning permission. The evaluation comprised the machine excavation of 59 trenches, 2775 metres in total, each 2 metres wide and positioned to target anomalies seen in geophysical survey. Most linear anomalies proved to be former boundary ditches and field drains of relatively recent date. An area east of Vearse Farm buildings was of greater interest - two pits probably containing human cremated remains of possible Middle Bronze Age date were identified but not excavated. Nearby, a small cluster of features including a pit and postholes, undated but also likely to be prehistoric, were also recorded but not excavated further.