SDO19767 - Land at Back Street, Bere Regis, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation

‘Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Lewis Wyatt Construction Ltd to undertake an archaeological evaluation of a 1.98 hectare parcel of land spread across two fields, located off land at Back Lane, Bere Regis. The evaluation area was centred on NGR 384415, 095115 and comprised 12 trial trenches (eleven measuring 25 m by 1.8 m and one measuring 15 m by 1.8 m), a 2% sample of the proposed development area. The trenches were targeted on the results of a previously undertaken geophysical survey as well as providing a random spread to ground truth the results of the survey. Three undated ditches were recorded, which corresponded with anomalies indicated on the geophysical survey including a substantial likely field boundary ditch, which was over 3m wide and 1.10m deep and is likely to be of post medieval date. In addition to this, two undated agricultural lynchets were identified one of which equated approximately to a geophysical survey anomaly. All recorded features were identified within the western field with no archaeology identified in the eastern field, and which had previously been used as allotments. The works were undertaken between the 21st – 24th March 2023. ‘