SDO9612 - A Preliminary Archaeological Assessment of the Proposed Redevelopment of the Old Foundry Site, Fordington High Street, Dorchester, Dorset

A largely desk-based study of the former Foundry site has been carried out to assess the archaeological potential of the site prior to redevelopment. The principal interests in the site are its proximity to a previously excavated Roman building containing a mosaic floor, and the discovery of Roman burials under Fordington High Street south of the site. One reference to a tessellated Roman pavement under the Foundry cannot be substantiated. An examination of geotechnical trial pit data indicates that buried archaeological deposits may exist in the site, but the level to which these have been disturbed by the construction and use of the foundry itself is unclear. The Foundry structure is a Listed Building and a rare survival of an industrial building in the town. Its preservation, by reuse, is also an important element in the current planning proposals.