The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-06-01 00:00:00

GILLWOHLIL

DICOOCIRT Oe ifAMAN jail/din. —The rarity of
trues of Roman occupation in this pert of Dorset
imparts musk intend to • diseovery mode during some
&dna( opmatloss in • field dose to °nubs= The
endue of the grand presented no marks of distur-
banes, bet after shoat • foot of the ordinary loamy
soil had been removed a layer of dark earth —perhaps
averaging six nth.' in thieknem—was found resting on
the natural suland of Kimmeridge day. In this were
numerous fragments of black, grey, and red ware of
desidedly Roman-British chuseter—rinnains of querns,
helm and teeth of animals, and stones brought from
• distance; all clearly ridden's' the site of habita-
tions of the Roman age. AN to the nature of the
buildings, there is unfortunately no evidence, the result
111 minterous ineavation mede with the kind permis•
aim sad owner of the Mate being that hardly • stone
had beim lift oa another. & rude kind of pitching,
termed of moderthi-sind donee set edgewise, wan
tressed oet in one or two spots, bot we kiln to light ou
either wall or foundation. The disappearance of these
need main no supreme, since in old times they must
hue afforded the neared and most eonvenient quarry
far the bolitliog of the neighbouring village. Indeed
the probability of such • renewal is pined beyond a
doubt by the fad that scarcely a vestige of stou wits
feud In digging neently on the well-amortained site
if aroma hantingneat near this plan, altboutb con-
temporary record-. show that John and Henry 111.
boils there ostensively. Many of the remathing stones
ire tinged with the deep red stain c.ussdby its, and
bite of thermal were frequently observed, dee • few
'linkers that may be seedbed to mineral seal. A single
fragment only of Roman brick has dome to light, but
the existence of done within half a mile may partly
mount for this. A dared eosne red ware, uerniegly
part of • water-pipe, Is the sole indication of bath or
Itypoeust. No buildingctone presented any trace of
• tooL Scattered fragments only of vessels were
found, sad scarcely ever has one had the satisfaction of
finding corresponding portions. Several pieces of even
the coarse ware retain the rivets with which their
ancient owners had *ought to hold them together.
There are small fragments of earthen studdel Inside
with small bite of flint. Most of the were is of the
some type madly found on Roman sites in the nearer
pun of Dorset and Somerset, but • few fragments are
Wettest in buten and make with the produce of the
rarliseamed in the New Forest by the Rev. J. P.
in 1853. aied deeeribed in the .4rcBaolopio of
that year. However, by far the most Double feature
to this led la the inendeme of numerous fragments of
&mime ware; fragments, alas I only, but evidently
of very handsome media varying in sine from
than two inches In disaster to nearly twelve
lashes. The patens embodied on them most have
been of very elegant character, and the floe teeters of
the ware contrasts very favourably with that of • small
froment found near Rome. One small piece has •
dun seemingly of tin, and • potter's Amp (adios:ado)
not in Kr. Aokerman's index. These Bahian fragments
may be set down as *rearing in the proportion of about
the to ten of the commoo ware. A few small bits of
glue of blue or green tint were picked up. First
Among the few metal objects must be mentioned a
spoon, six and • ban inches long, the square bronze
handle tapering almost to • point and slightly orna-
mented; the bowl, probably of the some metal, thickly
anted with tin. A similar spoon, but of plainer
character is engraved in Sir IL C. lioare's Auden!
Wiltshire. An Iron spenbead, three and a quarter
inches long, and • few nails similar in type to those
found at Etilobeder, 'apprise all the objects in that
meta Three mall braes coins were found, bet on one
only does image or roperscridion remain. This is of
Constantine the Great, and in fair permervation.
Oct. : IMP CONSTSNTINVII AVG, weal bust. Roc :
sou len= 0011171, usual type. At the aide T
111:1(1111, PM The upper Atoms of one quern was found
perfect. It is eighteen inches io diameter. and has the
noel groove to receive the handle. The material of
this, as of the broken querns turned out on the same
site, is • hard ferruginous green sandstone, of • kind
which I believe does not occur in this neighbourhood.
It Is certainly of very different stone from • three-feet
quern found in levelling the remarkable pit at the
at the Celtic site of Pen, five miles distant, where
gm& eandstone was probably quarried for making
querns. The bones ant teeth associated with these re-
mains are chiefly of the on, !sheep, pig, land horse.
Keay of the bones had been split lengthwise, but none
show marks of the saw or odur instrument. Some
eystu-shells were also found. The remain. I have
bees endes Touring to describe wear on the highest
spot for several miles round this place, and have been
trued In varying amount over a space of at least two
hundred yards by one hundred and fifty yards, probably
they extend much further. The field, partly drained
last winter, is called Morel Lena, but I cm end no
early authority for the opening. No traces of earth-
works have been detected, nor was the site at all likely
to be chosen for • fortification. No Roman road i.
known to have existed in this neighbourhood. It will
Interest many of your readers to know that the nearest
pima of high road is called Odd Harbour. I trod that
some of your oorreepondente who have had experience
in the exploration of Roman sites will kindly empress
their opinion as to what inference may be drawn [tom
this find for purposes of local bistory.—Qtlinut, in
Ndes and Queries.

SH AFTESBURY.
VINT ATION.—The yen. the Archdeacon of Dorset
held his Visitation on Thursday last at the pariah church
is this town. Holy Communion was administered at
eleven o'clock by the Reeds. F. Gell, and W. H. Bailin,
after which the charge was delivered. A dinner at the
orosveo3r Arms followed, at three o'clock. The Arob•
deacon took the chair, supported by the Rector of
9haftesbury, and Mr. H: Bower, of Iwerne, the vice-
ohair being oceopied by Mr. Lyon, of Pensbury. After
dinner, which was well provided by Mr. Moyle, the
chains= made some introductory remarks on " Church
Rates," the subject which hod been announced for di.-
MUM. He wee followed by the Rev. R. A. F. Barrett,
rector of Stour Provost, who read a short paper recom•
and* the offertory in lieu of rates whenever it wee
not offensive to the people; observing that the else
rule would not imply to different parishes. The Rev.
F. Glell regarded the abolition of ehurch•rates as the
tint step to disestablishment It was accompanied by
use advantage, which be enumerated, but on the