2 EXCAVATIONS AT DORCHESTER. 



I made frequent examinations of the cutting, and obtained 

 from him a number of carefully-measured sections as the 

 work progressed. They are kept in the Museum Library, ;in 

 the " Dorset Album," Vol. I., Part II. 



Commencing on the East side of the town in the Salisbury 

 Walks, which part was formerly called "The Great Walls," 

 solid undisturbed chalk was reached at a depth of 3ft. to 

 5ft. of loose chalk ; the upper surface of the solid chalk 

 was horizontal, and was covered by a seam of an ancient turf 

 line, leading to the conclusion that the wall stood exactly 

 over this spot. 



On turning into South Walks, a section opposite Culliford 

 Road shewed an entirely different sequence of soil. There 

 was no loose chalk above, no ancient turf line, and the solid 

 chalk was not reached till a depth of lift, of dark-coloured 

 snil had been removed. The upper surface of the solid chalk, 

 instead of being horizontal, shewed a clearly-defined slope 

 from North to South, obviously the inner slope of the main 

 ditch. This feature remained in view, though altering 

 gradually, till the cutting had passed Acland Road, where 

 the sloping surface of solid chalk had disappeared, shewing 

 that the site of the ditch had been left. On approaching 

 South Street, the ground appeared to have been more dis- 

 turbed, and at a depth of 10ft. Gin. I picked out of the loose 

 brown soil two good fragments of thick Roman brick. A 

 little further on there were rough courses of stones without 

 mortar, but presenting the appearance of foundations. They 

 were seen first on the Northern or inner side of the cutting, 

 and no doubt were connected with the main Southern gate 

 of the town. 



Between South Street and Trinity Street the drainage 

 cutting revealed once more the inner slope of the ancient 

 ditch ; and there also appeared a secondary trench at right 

 angles to the main ditch on the South side. It was very similar 

 to the XVII. Cent, trench discovered across the entrance 

 to Maumbury Rings in 1912, being " V "-shaped in section, 

 Tft. wide at the top and 1ft. Gin. at a depth of 7ft. It did not 



