Monument record 0761100000 - N of Rectory Farm (Area F)

Large rectangular ditched enclosure approximately 170m X 140m, identified during geophysical surveys carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 2011 and interpreted as a Romano British farmstead. Associated anomalies may represent internal features or buildings and trackways leading into 3 of the 4 sides of the enclosure. See report for detail (B2).

Circuit of the ditch can be traced around its full extent. Towards the south-western extent a rectlinear low resistance anomaly is consistent with a ditch and is considered to be of archaeological origin. A sub-rectangular anomaly, in the eastern corner of the enclosure, is consistent with a small ditched enclosure. North of centre, a cluster of high resisitance anomalies is interspersed with low resistance responses consistent with pit like features.(B3)

Trench 35, positioned across a possible north-east aligned trackway running through the centre of the enclsoure revealed no features (B4).

Trench 43- South-western ditch of the main enclosure, 2.70m wide and excavated to depth of 0.78m (not fully excavated), had steep cut edges. Roman pottery, ceramic building material fragments, and oyster shell was recovered from the upper and lower excavated fills. North-east of the enclosure was a ditch terminal. Extending north-east for 2m before turning to north-west and continuing out the trench.
Two north-west to south-east robber trenches at north-west end of the trench. Both truncated by a later foundation trench aligned NE-SW which turned SE at its southern end. The walls of the foundation trench later removed. Where sections of foundation stone remained they consisted of roughly faced fragments of Portland Limestone (B4).

Trench 44, identified a series of ditches relating to geophysical anomalies towards the north of the main enclosure. Roman pottery and ceramic building meaterial were from several features in this area.
Trench 45, in the centre of the enclosure, Identified a series of spreads which contained large quantities of domestic waste, including pottery, animal bone, and oyster shell and occasional ceramic building material debris.
Ditches relating to a geophysical anomaly towards the southern corner were identified within Trench 46. one of these being 2.38m wide with straight, steep edges. Roman pottery, CBM, Iron nails were recovered from these features To the north-west of these features was a spread which may have been part of an internal floor surface.
Within the south-east corner of the enclsosure inter-cutting pits, postholes and gullies were also identified. Roman pottery, fragments of CBM and metal objects were recovered from features in this area.
Two ditches, likely relating to the north-east aligned trackway, were identified east of the main enclsoure, but were not identified by trenches within the enclosure. Ditches relating to a possible north-west aligned trackway were identified in trenches to the south of the enclsoure and also within the enclosure Trenches across the main enclosure ditch have identified a second, smaller, ditch circuit on the outside of the larger ditch suggesting this a double ditched enclsoure(B4).