THERE have in the past few weeks been articles about the delay in completing the develo-pment of Charles Street and more recently reference to the archaeological investigation of the site.
It is many years since the area was considered for extensive change. The four-acre site was a mix of housing along Charles Street with other dwellings along Acland Road.
There was Longmans Road at the Southern end adjacent to the Walks with a number of small businesses situated largely under what is now the site occupied by the Council offices.
In 1974 there was an application for development by Town and City Properties that did not proceed but in 1983 the District Council, by now the major owners of the site, sought development partners for the area.
Whilst Waitrose was being provided there was an archaeo-logical investigation covering large areas of the site including use of sub ground radar, all at significant cost to the Council.
When the Wollaston Field Car Park was provided, during excavations the remains of Roman Baths were discovered in the North West corner but after some public inspection, and on instruction from English Heri-tage, the site was filled with sand and left undisturbed beneath the car park tarmac.
In 1986, with businesses in recession, the rest of the development did not go ahead but subsequently many years later the present developers came forward with a scheme that has included the Council Offices and Library.
Areas of the site that have not been the subject of archaeo-logical inspection are now used mainly for car parking, together with the site occupied by the Evangelical Church site that has remained undisturbed but sits in close proximity to the site of the Roman Baths.
The site overall is an area that potentially is rich in archaeo-logical terms, but sadly over the years with so much change and lack of attention to a full scheme of inspection and recording, much of it may have already have been lost.
It behoves the Council to make the most of what is left and contribute positively to the known history of Dorchester and the Charles Street area.
DAVID Crowhurst
Spring Gardens
Broadmayne
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