AGM 2024

 The DDCAG AGM took place and we discussed the forthcoming sites that we will be working on this year.

The DMV in East Dorset was presented as an exciting opportunity to research an important area of settlement in the county over several years. Our first job will be a geophysical survey and then we will concentrate on an area where features are located. 

Our collaboration with Bournemouth University will continue, as we look at an Iron Age/Roman site, with the geophysical survey done and test pits to follow. 

We are about to start our investigation at the Bridwell site on Sherborne. The geophiz showed some features that may be cess pits, so we will open a couple test pits. It is a well known trope that humans will always fill any holes in the ground with rubbish, and rubbish is our game! 

Close to Dorchester we will look at a site that was investigated in 2006, which found a Bronze Age burial in a garden. The owners now wish to see if any other features are there, so more test pitting for us.

We are in touch with two museums in Dorset, where we will be undertaking collaborations.

More walks and talks are planned, one walk being in Thorncombe Woods walking the Roman road and then looking at two Bronze Age barrows.    

We are hoping to have geophysical training days for members, so that we have a broad base of trained people for any sites we work on in future.

2024 is looking busy for our group and we look forward to doing some great research onto Dorset's past.

Sherborne Survey

We undertook a geophysical survey in Sherborne last week, looking for any evidence of structures and features behind buildings that date back to the 15th century. We are now planning to do one or two test pits looking at features that will hopefully contain dating evidence relating to pre- and post-dissolution activity on the site, thus adding information on this area to the archive.   

New Projects

 DDCAG is excited to say that we are building two more new projects in Dorset. 

One is located on the Isle of Purbeck locating a DMV (Deserted Medieval Village) and the other in the pretty and ancient town of Sherborne looking at one of their many medieval structures and surrounding garden. Plus, the Waddon Hill project has completed the geophysical surveying and test pitting will be undertaken in the new year.

2024 is already looking to be a busy one for the Group! This follows on from our meeting with the Executive Director of the Council for British Archaeology who are very enthusiastic about local heritage groups collaborating on projects and exchanging skills and experience. 

DDCAG are doing just that!

 

Blandford project

 DDCAG and Blandford Museum are planning to work together in the new year on archaeology projects. The committee are committed to establishing partnerships with other heritage organisations in Dorset the more to help local people to research and learn about their past. Exciting. 

Just a Bit Blowy

 DDCAG member Kevin (left), working with GeoFlo surveying a Roman site for Bournemouth University. Hopefully the results will show features that can then be test-pitted. They followed the old archaeologists moto 'Whatever the Weather...'

The Church of St Basil, Toller Fratrum

Dorset Diggers have undertaken a geophysical survey at the church of St Basil to see if we can find the earlier structure under this Victorian building. 

These images will give you a basic history of the area. Although the information on these sheets starts with the Knights Hospitallier in the 1300s it may be that an even earlier church stood on the site going back to the Early Medieval period, either Early Norman or Late Anglo-Saxon. 

Christ washing feet as an act of humility.

As can be seen here the church has some much older stone carvings, the most impressive being the Font. These may have been kept when the old churches were demolished and the present building erected. 

The previous church had two bells in a tower and was a narrow building with a chancel, nave and porch. It could sit 80 people. As a result we are going to contact the Church of England to see if they have any records. The church is now owned and run by The Friends of St Basil's through subscription and still used for services. They have given us permission to do these investigations.

This is the geophysics result. The darker area to the right is low resistance and just dirt and some graves, which do not show up. The lighter areas to the left, situated around the existing building (pink), is where we think the foundations of the earlier building is situated. The existing building sits on the original footprint. 

Thanks to all members of the team that came out to help with the survey.   

 

 

The Bottle Inn update

 After digging two small trenches at the front of The Bottle Inn we found no archaeology. Two larger trenches cannot be excavated due to not having access to a digging machine. So we will have to leave that project for the time being.