Site-index
Mortars
Inscriptions
Roofing
Paving
Architectural
Occupation-sites
Contents of Database
The author's page
This section is now restricted to tesselated paving, both
fine and coarse; other paving is under Architectural
Doubtful and rejected items of tesselated paving are listed here
rather than in the Doubtful
and Negative sections; they
are not shown on the distribution map.
© Copyright John Palmer.
This is work in progress, last updated 2022-10-22.
Please use this link
to send me comments and suggestions.
In Purbeck
-
- name Worth Matravers pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site between Worth and Langton Matravers, before 1995
- grid SY 99 78 approx.
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 34
- desc in 1995 SR Cosh reported that a Roman mosaic found during quarrying
had been covered up. D Hinton has excavated, site is on NT land
- subst NOI
- comment may be same site as
Compact Farm or
Weston Farm
-
- name Brenscombe pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Brenscombe Farm, Corfe Castle, 1961-1967
- grid SY 9789 8272
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 2
- publ Farrar 1962b p.113-114
- publ Farrar 1963 p.103
- publ Farrar 1967 p.144
- desc Parallel bands of brown and white ... chevron border of ... brown
and white ... Only brown and white in surviving patterns, a few red tess.
in the overlying soil. 1967: 2-strand guilloche bordering; a foliate scroll
from a [pavement of superior quality]
- subst NOI
- date `With C3-4 samian' (!?)
- comment N side of Chalk ridge
-
- name Bucknowle paving
- cat REJECT
- site Bucknowle, Corfe Castle, 1975-1982
- grid SY 9545 8154
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 3
- publ Farrar, PDNHAS 97 66
- publ Keen, PDNHAS 99 120
- publ Field, PDNHAS 103 123
- publ Collins et al., PDNHAS 104 183
- desc Observations in 1975 (Farrar): tess. of red tile about 1yd sq.
In 1977 (Keen): red tess. floor mostly destroyed by ploughing.
Room 111 had a mosaic floor, with a black (shale)
and white (chalk) geom. design.
In 1981 (Field): tess. floor in poor condition.
In 1982 (Collins): most of tess. floor of veranda had vanished.
There were 4 central rooms (26-29)
later combined and given a common tess. floor.
- desc Cosh painting (in Ashford): black and grey tesserae
- subst non-Purbeck?
- date 270-370 (coins)
-
-
Dorchester, the walled town
-
- name Dorchester All Saints Church House pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site All Saints Church House, Durngate St/Icen Way corner
- grid SY 6945 9067
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorchester 1
- publ - Moule HJ 1906 p.38
- publ RCHM 1970 p.566 no.201
- publ Richardson NM 1898 p.liv
- desc Moule: cable design in black, white and two greys
- loc Fragment presented to DCM by Mr Wills (Richardson);
but untraced (RCHM)
- subst greys ?limestone?
-
- name Dorchester All Saints Road pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, All Saints Road, 1897
- grid SY 6955 9082
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorchester 2
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1903-05-14
- publ RCHM 1970 p.567, no.204
- publ - Moule HJ 1906 p.37
- publ Anon. 1903 p.xliii
- desc Moule: 20 by 10ft of coarse tesserae, bluish grey and red, stone
and brick respectively; border of red surrounding an oblong of plain
chequer pattern; also a strip 60ft by 3-4ft of grey tesserae
- loc Greater part at Dorchester High School, Boston, Mass. Smaller
part in All Saints rectory porch, photographed there 1993. RCHM says: A lump
of the corridor floor is in DCM
- subst grey ?limestone?
- comment Anon. 1902 records resolution to send the mosaic to Boston,
for its better preservation
-
- name Dorchester All Saints Road North pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, All Saints Road, Hambledon and Ranston, 1908
- grid SY 6955 9054
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorchester 3
- publ Bartelot RG in Moule MS p.37
- publ RCHM 1970 p.567 no.204
- desc Bartelot: struck while digging foundations for these two villas,
builder covered it up quickly
- loc lost, possibly remains in situ
- subst NOI
-
- name Dorchester Applegates pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, house named Applegates, 1971
- grid SY 6915 9060
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorchester 4
- publ Henig M 1971 p.181
- publ Jones ME 1988
- desc 2 fragments. Jo Draper: Red tesserae: ceramic.
Blue (brown when fractured) and yellow stone not identified but
similar to Halstock
- desc Jones: White tesserae are Chalk, probably Upper or Middle,
showing unusual diagenesis, not unlike the Chalk of the Purbeck ridge
- loc DCM
- subst White is Chalk;
for the rest see Halstock
-
- name Dorchester Cedar Park pavement
- site Dorchester, Cedar Park, 1894
- grid SY 6921 9055
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 5
- publ - Moule HJ 1906 p.37-38
- publ Richardson NM 1895
p.xliii
- desc Coarse (25mm) tesserae, red, grey, white, black
- loc DCM, in floor next to main stairs
- subst JP: some grey tesserae are shelly (one at least seems to contain
gastropods of V. cariniferus size), others polished with wear
- comment similar stuff from Woolworths, 47 South St, 1898
-
- name
Dorchester Colliton Town-house pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Colliton Park building 1, c.1937
- grid SY 690 909
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 6
- publ Drew and Collingwood Selby 1937
- publ
RCHM 1970 p.553-558 and pl.218-220
- publ S. Cosh, in Durham and Fulford 2014 p.71-85
- desc Rooms 8, 10, 13: small tesserae of red, yellow, dark blue/grey,
med. grey, light grey and white; mosaics also in rooms 14, 16 and 17
(the last found in room 18)
- loc Permanently displayed on site. Room 10 is where you enter the
cover building, 8 round to the left as you enter, 13 right as you enter
- subst greys need study
-
-
- name Lyme Regis mosaic fragment
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site In Lyme Regis museum 1973-1993 labelled `Dorchester'
- grid SY 69 90 approx (Dorchester)
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 7a
- desc Photos show blue-grey and white tesserae
- loc accession no. 1996.54, presumably DORCM
- subst blue-grey needs study
- comment DCM Donor Index has `Cunnington E: 1884.9 Roman tess. pavement.
Portion from Whitlands, Lyme Regis'
-
- name Durngate St SW corner pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site found when building Wesleyan Chapel 1875, not found again on demolition
1981
- grid SY 6926 9064
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 8
- publ Moule 1906
- publ Woodward PJ 1988 p.187
- publ RCHM 1970
- desc RCHM: large light grey tesserae set in mortar 2in thick
- loc DCM, box LM.7 (1993)
- subst NOI
-
- name Wollaston House pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Provenance, where found; date of finding where known
- grid SY 6938 9066
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 9
- publ Moule 1906 p.38
- publ - `Cunnington E, Notes on Dorset excavations carried out, DCM library K3'
p.102-103
- publ RCHM 1970
- subst NOI
-
- name Friary Hill Warders' Houses pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Provenance, where found; date of finding where known
- grid SY 6928 9088
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 10
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1854(?)-09-22
- publ RCHM 1970 p.568 no.209
- desc Inferior tesselated floor
- loc LOST
- subst NOI
-
- name Gasworks pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Gasworks, 1902
- grid SY 6955 9058
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 11
- publ 1902, The Antiquary, p.108
- publ RCHM 1970 p.566-7 no.203
- desc A mosaic ... cable pattern
- loc RCHM: `a few red, white and grey tesserae remain in DCM'
- subst NOI
-
- name Glyde Path Hill 1809 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Glyde Path Hill/Prison site, 1809
- grid SY 6914 9092 (Jo Draper's correction of RCHM)
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 12
- publ Anon. 1814 p.330-331
- publ Rainey A 1973 p.64
- publ Drawing in DCM, boxfile X7/D9
- desc Mosaic found when digging the foundation of a garden wall belonging
to the New Gaol; reported 1814 by T Rackett;
`Drawing presented to Soc Antiq Lond 1812-02-27: 3 parallelograms
one within the other, blue and white tesserae.'
Drawing by S Cosh shows parallelograms as rectangular
- loc unknown
- subst NOI
- comment Ashford lists this in his table of contents as
`Glyde Path Hill (Rackett)'
-
- name Glyde Path Hill No.23 pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, 23 Glyde Path Hill, 1880 and 1966
- grid SY 6910 9088
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 13
- publ Dorset County Chronicle and Somerset Gazette 1880-10-07 p.3
- publ Draper and Chaplin 1982
p.105-106
- desc Room 1: stripes of red and grey tesserae 25mm square; grey is stone,
red ceramic. This was the mosaic found by Hogg in 1880. Room 2: (similar)
red and grey tesserae. Room 3: Grey tesserae 2cm square.
- loc not stated
- subst grey needs study
- date 390-425AD (by coin)
-
- name 37 Glyde Path Road pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, 37 Glyde Path Road, 1957
- grid SY 6909 9076
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 14
- publ RCHM 1970 p.567-8 no.207
- publ Farrar 1959
- desc RCHM: 2-3 sq.ft. Small tess. in 6 colours; black, white (chalk),
brown, blue (chalk), ... yellow, red
- loc LOST. DCM ref. LM 125; fragment moved to DCM but lost.
The red brick tesserae were used for repair to other pavements in DCM
and are no longer distinguishable
- subst non-Purbeck, by petrological report.
Margaret Morris, Geol. Surv., in Farrar p.99:
Red: brick. Black (and brown): fine grained clay rock with some dolomitic
content [possibly] from hardened marls of the Lias formation. Brown:
Oolitic limestone, prob. Portland Limestone. Yellow: dolomitic limestone
poss. Jurassic. Blue and White: chalk (the chalk varies from cream to white
to pale bluish grey).
-
- name Glyde Path Road Clinic tesserae
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Glyde Path Road, 1937
- grid SY 6806 9076
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 15
- publ RCHM 1970 p.568
- desc Fragment of tesselated floor [and] loose tesserae
- subst NOI
-
- name Greyhound Yard 1950s pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, Greyhound Yard, 1955-56
- grid SY 6930 9062
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 16
- publ Woodward, Davies and Graham 1993
- publ Farrar RAH 1956 p.79
- publ Parks, Aubrey, MS in DCM, boxfile Dorset Places: Dorchester: A.X122/N
and X9
- publ Dorset Daily Echo 1955-12-08, 1955-12-17
- desc A mosaic, totally destroyed, of dark grey, light grey and red tesserae,
red of tile, greys probably derived from rocks of the Jurassic system of
Gloucs and Wilts
- loc lost
- subst non-Purbeck
- date Farrar: 3rd cent.
-
- name Greyhound Yard 1980s pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Greyhound Yard, 1981-84
- grid SY 6930 9062 (Ashford says 6935 9063)
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 17
- publ Woodward, Davies and Graham 1993
- desc Floors in fragmentary condition.
Bldg 2170: 10m square, white and dark grey tesserae, with border of
light grey and red E-W stripes
Floor 2555: survived as 3 frags, white and grey tesserae; also
light grey limestone tesserae, tile tesserae
Floor 222: light grey tesserae; dark grey stone tess. 10mm sq.;
white chalk tess. 10mm sq.; light grey limestone tess. 25-30mm sq.;
red tile ditto; dark grey stone tess. as repair to light grey area;
Another mosaic frag., found inverted, 4mm sq. tess. grey, yellow,
pink and white
- subst NOI
- date Woodward: 4th cent.
-
- name 34 High West St pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, 34 High West St, 1937
- grid SY 6897 9068
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 18
- publ Oliver VL, notes in DCM
- publ Salisbury Times 1937-03-19
- publ RCHM 1970 p.567 no.206
- publ Drew CD 1937b p.xxx
- desc Remains of coarse tess. pavement
- loc DCM, box LM75B
- subst RCHM: light grey limestone
-
- name Mr Pitfield's kitchen floor
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, 18 Icen Way, c.1850
- grid RCHM: SY 6953 9054 (Ashford says 6954)
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 19
- publ Moule 1906 p.36-37
- publ RCHM 1970 p.567 no.204
- desc Mosaic in use as a kitchen floor in a cottage occupied by Mr Pitfield
c.1850; square pavement almost perfect; tess. black, red, white
- subst non-Purbeck
-
- name Marks and Spencer pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, Marks and Spencer store site, 1936
- grid SY 6919 9056
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 20, 38
- publ RCHM 1970 no.194(a) p.564
- publ MS plans and sections in DCM
- desc [Extends under Trinity St.] Red and white tess. Sections removed
to DCM but now lost
- loc LOST
- subst non-Purbeck
-
- name Merchant's Garage pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Merchant's Garage, 1983 (now Homechester House, High West St)
- grid SY 689 906 approx.
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 21
- publ Bellamy PS 1991 fig.6 p,48,
p.49, p.52
- desc context 382: tesselated pavement 2.3 by 3.9m; surviving part [of]
red, gray and white tesserae; gray tesserae (stippled in fig.6)
are of limestone NOI
- loc unknown; Bellamy states that some finds were lost
- subst gray limestone
- date Bellamy p.52: 3rd cent.
-
- name Plaza Cinema pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, Plaza Cinema, 1932
- grid SY 6917 9057
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 22
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1932-05-12
- publ RCHM 1970 no.194(d) p.564
- desc ancient pavement in red and white
- loc not stated
- subst non-Purbeck
-
- name Dorchester Prison 1854 pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, Prison, 1854
- grid SY 6925 9083
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 23
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1854-08-17 p.4
- publ RCHM 1970 p.568-9 no.209(b)
- desc border ... of tess. of red tile and black and white stone
- loc portion presented to DCM
- subst non-Purbeck?
- comment not clear if distinct from
the 1858 pavement
-
- name Dorchester Prison 1841 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester Prison, 1841
- grid SY 6922 9085
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 24
- publ RCHM 1970 p.568 no.209(a)
- publ Rainey A 1973
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1841-01-07 p.4
- desc RCHM: lozenge pattern in rather large red, `blue' and white tess.;
20yd from another portion seem some years previously
- loc unknown
- subst NOI
- comment not clear if distinct from
the 1858 pavement
-
- name Dorchester Prison 1858 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, 1858 or before
- grid SY 6922 9085
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 24
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1858-09-23 (facsimile in
Ashford D 1998)
- publ
RCHM 1970 p.568 no.209(a), pl.224
- publ Rainey A 1973 p.64
- publ Bingham CW 1858 p.82
- publ Lawrance JVD, MS in DCM, boxfile Dorset Places D2(A), X34/N
(from Ashford)
- desc Pavement found at Dorchester Castle `while digging a grave for
an executed criminal' and relaid in the castle. Information from the governor
JV Lawrance, whose account is reported also in
Hutchins 3rd ed 2 394-6.
- loc DCM, arch. coll. F1 misc;
main part on first landing of main staircase behind an
oil painting; smaller part (guilloche) in `conservation' display (cases
3,4,5). Before 1885 in Prison. Some guilloche may be lost, left at Prison
(says Ashford)
- subst needs inspection
- comment See
Dorchester Prison roofing tiles
- comment 2021 Spring: in the course of major rebuilding, the oil painting was removed, revealing the main part of the pavement
-
- name Somerleigh Court 1862 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Somerleigh Court, 1862
- grid SY 6906 9048
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 25
- publ Moule 1906 p.35-6
- publ RCHM 1970 p.561 no.189(a)
- desc RCHM: at least 7 colours, black white red grey blue
- desc Moule p.33: circles mosaic
- loc buried in situ under lawn
-
- name Somerleigh Court 1889 pavement 1
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Somerleigh Court, 1889
- grid SY 6906 9050
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 26
- publ Moule 1906 p.34
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.562 no.189(f)
-
- name Somerleigh Court 1889 pavement 2
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Somerleigh Court, 1889
- grid RCHM: SY 6907 9050
- source Ashford D 1998 after Dorch 26
- publ Moule 1906 p.36
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.562 no.189(e)
- loc relaid in porch of Somerleigh Court; seen there (Ashford) 1992
-
- name Somerleigh Court 1890 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Somerleigh Court, 1890 `while clock house being built'
- grid RCHM: SY 6908 9051
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 27
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.562
- desc Fragment of a coarse black and white tess. pavement
- subst non-Purbeck
-
- name Somerleigh Court 1963 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Somerleigh Court, 1963
- grid SY 6908 9051
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 28
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.562 no.189(g)
- publ Farrar RAH 1965 p.109
- desc RCHM: small part of a tess. pavement
interspersed irregularly with red tess.
- desc PDNHAS: tess. 1in sq. but irregular, of light grey limestone
irregularly interspersed with red tiles of up to 1 1/2in sq.
- comment erroneous citation: `1959, PDNHAS 81 p.109'
-
- name Somerleigh Court 1885 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Somerleigh Court, 1885 and 1963
- grid SY 6907 9048
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 29
- publ Moule 1906 p.34
- publ
Aitken and Dewar 1964 p.155
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.561 no.189(b)
- desc coarse mosaic of red brick and grey limestone, badly set in 10in
squares, occupying 72sq.ft
-
- name Somerleigh Court 2000 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Somerleigh Court, 2000
- grid SY 690 904 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 48
- desc white, red, black, yellow, grey tesserae, small;
whitish, red tesserae, large
-
- name Somerleigh Court 2001 pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Somerleigh Court, 2001
- grid SY 690 904 approx
- source pers. obs. JP and PMP
- desc found 2001 while excavating in advance of redevelopment:
Cosh has some data
-
- name 50 South St pavement
- site Dorchester, 50 South St, 1899
- grid SY 6923 9061
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 30
- publ Moule 1906 p.38
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.564 no.195
- publ 1899, The Builder 77 602
- desc red, buff/yellow, offwhite, black tess. about 10mm.
- desc Moule: substance doubtful (black, buff), NOI (red, offwhite).
RCHM: `the grey is mostly PM' which JP finds surprising but the greenish-
black could be so; the offwhite ones also?
- loc DCM, 2002 Jan, display no.39, where
it is unlabelled as to provenance.
It is likely this same object which is on display 2016-02 in
the gallery as rearranged,
in the Roman house interior tableau between cases 26 and 27
- subst RCHM: PM
-
- name Dorchester SE pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site SE part of Dorchester, 1852
- grid unknown
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 31
- publ Glynne S 1923 p.98
- publ RCHM 1970 thinks this is
a garbled reference to (2046), presumably another object listed by RCHM;
may be All Saints Road pavement
- desc Glynne: `A very fine tess. pavement has lately been discovered in
a garden behind a house in one of the back streets towards the SE'
(that's all)
-
- name Dorchester SW pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, SW angle of town, 1841
- grid SY 6902 9040
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 32
- publ Hutchins ed.3 2 396-7
- publ RCHM 1970
- publ 1841, Gent Mag part 2 p.143
- publ 1864, J Brit Archaeol Ass 20 208
- desc 14ft by 8ft, 1/2in sq. tess., black, red, blue, white, light brown,
outer border of coarser white tess.
- loc Hutchins: destroyed
-
- name Dorchester 45 South St pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Tilley's Motor Sale Room, 45 South St, 1905
- grid SY 6920 9053
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 33
- publ RCHM 1970 p.563
- publ Oliver VL, DCM MS X134.N2 in boxfile Dorset Places D2 (?)
- desc RCHM: surround of coarse grey tess.; narrow band(s) of red; finer
white tess. on inside; design in black, red. white, grey 1/2in tess.
Cf. Lydney Park mosaic (Wheeler REM and TV 1932, Lydney Park Gloucs,
pl.xxi
- loc tess. in DCM, Box LM48, cat.no. 1906.3.2
- subst greys need study
- date RCHM: 2 coins of Constans (333-350AD) found on pavement
-
- name Dorchester Templeman's Garden pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Mr Templeman's garden (later Cedar Park), 1725
- grid SY 6921 9059 approx (Ashford)
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 34
- publ Hutchins ed.3 2
p.394 and fig.692
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.564 no.194(c)
- desc RCHM: 12ft by 14ft
- loc lost
- subst NOI
-
- name Dorchester 26 Trinity St pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, 26 Trinity St, 1925
- grid SY 6914 9051
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 35-37
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.563 no.192
- publ Dorset Evening Echo 1967-03-10, 1967-06-13
- desc red, white, black; 1994, some grey
- loc in situ, under sand under ASPROM labels under concrete, 1994
- subst NOI
- date Peers R: c.250AD
-
-
- name Dorchester Wollaston Field pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, Icen Way, Wollaston Field
- grid SY 6946 9059
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 39
- publ Woodward PJ 1998
- desc in-situ frag. of a mosaic pavement constructed of shale, chalk and
tile pieces, cf. room 13 of
Colliton Park townhouse
- loc not stated
- subst prob. non-Purbeck
- date Woodward: from style, 4th cent.
-
- name Dorchester Roman Baths pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Wollaston House, 1977-8
- grid SY 694 906 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 40
- source DCM photo collection CS853, CS855
- publ Keen L 1977 p.121
- publ Keen L 1978 p.114
- publ Anon. `Roman Town Baths Open Days 23-24 June 1978', DNHAS
- publ excavated by English Heritage, still unpublished 2001
- desc white, grey, red, black; circular mosaic
- loc Buried in situ under carpark (JP assumes)
- subst NOI
-
- name Dorchester Woolworths pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Woolworth's store site, 1898
- grid SY 693 905 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 41
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1898-05-12
- publ Farrar RAH 1961 p.90
- desc 1898: mosaic pavement in red and white tesserae in simple pattern
- desc 1961: during building of Woolworth's store on this site in 1930 and
extension to Trinity St 1961, no pavement was found
- loc lost
- subst NOI
-
- name DCM porch pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site see loc
- grid SY 694 906 approx
- source pers. obs. JP
- publ unknown
- desc Coarse work of red, grey and a few white 25mm tesserae, in a
pattern of squares, about 1.7m by 1.7m square overall
- loc relaid as central panel of pavement of front porch of DCM
- subst greys may possibly contain bivalves
- comment appearance similar to
Dorchester Cedar Park pavement
Dorchester, outside the walls
-
- name Dorchester Dagmar Road pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Dagmar Road, 1899
- grid SY 6870 9020
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 42
- publ Moule MS, prob. in DCM, details unknown
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.570 no.213
- desc Found 1899 when the street was laid. Moule in MS: tesselated floor
found on both sides of the road
- loc unknown
- subst NOI
-
- name Dorchester Durngate St extramural pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Durngate St, site of school now Salvation Army Hall, 1905
- grid SY 6953 9068
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 43
- publ 1905, The Antiquary 61 286
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1905-07-06
- publ RCHM 1970 p.566 and pl.223
- publ Smith DJ 1963 p.104
- desc floor about 12yd sq; design elaborate with vases, serpents, leaves etc.
Tesserae small: red, blue, white, yellow.
- desc RCHM: materials were black, dark and light grey limestone including
PM, red tile and white chalk
- loc relaid as major part of floor of main hall of DCM
- subst JP can't find shelly limestone on inspection. Note that RCHM says
black is limestone!
- date Smith: 300+AD, because stylistically similar to
Hinton St Mary pavement;
same crested snake in both canthari
-
- name Lott and Walnes Sea-god pavement
- site Dorchester, Fordington High St, Lott and Walnes Foundry, 1903
- grid SY 6958 9074
- source Beavis p.201
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 44
- publ Vidler OC 1928
- publ Papers in DCM, box Dorchester parish: Archaeology
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.569-70 no.210, pl.225
- desc Beavis: Tesselated pavement [of PM]
- desc JP's observation: Mosaic pavement containing grey tesserae
which look like shelly limestone and are perhaps PM;
David Ashford of same opinion
(Champion 2000 p.42)
- desc Vidler: [tesserae examined by] Dr HH Thomas, Geol. Survey
[London]. ``The larger limestone masses that formed the foundations are
... Cornbrash and Forest Marble ... developed locally to the S and W
of Dorchester. Of the tesserae Specimens (1)Black, (2)Blue and (5)Yellow
are from the Purbeck. (2) contains the characteristic fossil
(Paludina) of PM. Specimens (3)Grey and (8)White are white limestones
probably from the ``Whitbed'' of the Portland Limestone ...
[remainder are ceramic]''
- loc On display, Dorset Museum atrium, on the E wall, 2021 May; previously relaid 1928 as part of floor, W of N end of Victorian hall
- subst probably includes PM, certainly PL, by petrological report.
Paludina limestone, and other Purbeck material.
Note Black identified as Purbeck
-
- name Lott and Walne's Plain pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Lott and Walne's yard, Fordington, 1905
- grid SY 6958 9074
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 45
- publ Dorchester County Chronicle 1905-07-23, 1905-07-20, 1905-07-27
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) p.570
- desc Plain tesselated pavement
- loc unknown
- subst NOI
-
- name Olga Road pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Dorchester, Olga Road no.21 (formerly called no.9), 1899
- grid SY 6870 9010
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 46
- publ March HC 1900
- publ RCHM 1970 (SE 3) no.212, pl.223
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1900-11-15 p.9
- publ 1900, PDNHAS 22 xxviii
- publ Moule 1906 p.40-1
- loc DCM, relaid in floor of main hall further from main entrance
- subst JP: non-Purbeck
-
- name Weymouth Avenue, The Elms pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dorchester, Weymouth Avenue, The Elms, 1878,1935
- grid SY 6912 9024
- source Ashford D 1998 Dorch 47
- publ RCHM 1970 p.570
- desc small portion of coloured tess. pavement seen 1935
- subst NOI
-
Close to Dorchester
-
- name Maiden Castle pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Maiden Castle, RB temple, 1882
- grid SY 6711 8846
- source Ashford D 1998 unnumbered
- publ Anon. 1903 p.xxxviii
- publ Wheeler REM 1943
- publ RCHM 1970
- desc PDNHAS: a bit of tess. floor of good quality, of simple design
in plain grey and white; [floor of a corridor]
- desc Wheeler: lumps of black and white mosaic from an earlier building;
the surround or verandah had been floored wholly or partly with coarse red
tiles
- subst NOI
- date from coins: original construction not before 367, reconstruction not
before 379
-
- name Poundbury paving fragment
- cat REJECT
- site found by a bather in the Frome near Poundbury IA fort
- grid SY 6824 9105
- source Ashford D 1998 unnumbered
- publ Moule 1906 p.39
- publ RCHM 1970
- desc fragment of white tesselation looking like marble, less than 1/4in sq.
Identified as Charinal by Mr Lusardi [who relaid the
Olga Road pavement]
- subst non-Purbeck
- date ? mid 4th cent (unstratified coin of Faustina II)
Rest of Dorset (excl. Purbeck and Cranborne Chase)
-
- name Bradford Down tesserae
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Bradford Down, Pamphill, 1968-1972
- grid SY 9784 0427
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 1
- publ Field NH 1982
- desc one or two small tesserae
- date C2-3 AD
-
- name Charminster pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Charminster, Walls Field, 1891
- grid SY 6672 9492
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 4
- publ 1892, PDNHAS 13 xxii
- publ Dorset County Chronicle 1891-04-02
- publ RCHM Dorset vol.3 pt 1 p. 74
- desc 12ft by 4ft. Center consists of a square of white cubes 5/8in sq.
surrounded by border of blue and red. Tess. increase in size toward the
edge, from 1 1/2in sq. to 3 1/2in
- loc NOT in DCM
- subst NOI
-
- name Dewlish pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Dewlish, 1740 and 1969-75
- grid SY 7270 9201
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 5
- publ Hutchins ed.3 2 607
- publ Putnam WG 1970
- publ Putnam WG 1971
- publ Putnam WG 1972
- publ Putnam WG 1973
- publ Putnam WG 1974
- publ Putnam WG 1975
- publ Russell 2019
- desc 1970: some rooms had been cleared in the past, in particular
one mosaic pavement had been exposed to frost and completely destroyed
- desc 1971: room 1: floor with central panel of red and white chequers;
room 2: little remains, black red white; room 4: on hypocaust cover slab,
geometric mosaic; apse had alternate red and white squares of large tess.;
room 5: red tess. throughout; room 6: passage, good quality geom. mosaic,
black and white key pattern, red border; room 7: red tess. with white strip
42cm wide down centre; room 8: red and white stripes; room 9: red and white
and black geometric, tess. 1cm sq., finer than elsewhere in villa
- desc 1971: Room 11, apsidal alcove: pavement in red, black, white, brown,
grey (grey for dolphins' backs). Most of rest of paving in room 11 destroyed;
but the leopard leaping on gazelle
(illus. in Russell 2019)
is from this room. Room 12: Corridor
mosaic, greek key in white, black, dark red with borders of coarse grey
and brown tess.
- desc 1973 or 1974: Room 16: coarse red border, then 2-strand guilloche
presumably in black/red/white, but greys possible. Room 25 (apodyterium):
mosaic 1 geometric, black brown red white, 14mm tess.; mosaic 2 sea-beast
thiasos laid over mosaic 1, white black brown red
- desc 1975: Room 25: in NW corner a panel encloses a square of guilloche mat,
black white red and grey; N corner, a heart-shape in white shading to yellow
and brown; narrow border of Z pattern in white, yellow and red, and white
and 2 shades of grey, on black ground
- desc Besides the above DORCM has a small portion of mosaic with guilloche
border which was lifted by
Rodney Alcock
and used as a trial piece while developing a technique for
removing and conserving such mosaics
- loc Room 25 mosaic 2: DORCM; 2002 above reception desk, 2019 in store
- loc Room 12? greek key: DORCM; until 2002-01 above reception desk;
in Victorian hall 2002-06 for special lecture; 2019 in store
- loc Room 11 leopard and gazelle: until 2018 at Dewlish House,
then sold to anonymous buyer,
see Russsell 2019;
since purchased by Dorset Museum,
and since 2021 on display on Right as you approach main entrance to Victorian hall.
- loc Alcock's trial piece: DORCM, used 2019 in window display in
'popup museum' while the main museum is being remodelled
- loc remainder: DORCM, or private house in Dewlish, or buried in situ
- subst some mudstone tesserae, see
Norden site
- date after AD 356 (coins in room 11, and style)
-
- name Druce Farm mosaic
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Druce Farm, near Puddletown, Dorset, 2013
- grid SY 745 954
- source Lilian Ladle, in lecture
- desc Mosaic pavement
- loc On site, covered for protection with geotextile, sand,
and Roman PL roofing slabs
- subst not yet known
- date c.350 AD
- comment See also roofing and
structural stone
on same site
- cont Lilian Ladle
-
- name East Creech pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site East Creech, Corfe Castle, 1888
- grid SY 9353 8275
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 6
- publ RCHM 1970 p.593 (or 595?)
- desc pavement with simple lattice design in coarse tess. of red tile on
a `white' ground, 16ft by at least 11ft
- loc some tess. in Poole museum
- subst NOI
-
- name Encombe mosaic fragment
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Encombe, Corfe Castle, 1955
- grid SY 903 707 approx (?Encombe House)
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 7
- publ Farrar 1955b
- desc a small piece of quarter-round moulding in mosaic
- loc in the Eldon collection (presumably Encombe House)
- subst NOI
- comment `the objects are unnumbered, and few can be assigned with certainty
to their locations'
-
- name Fifehead Neville pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Fifehead Neville, 1880-1, 1902-5
- grid ST 7728 1121
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 8
- publ Engleheart GH 1903
- publ Oliver VL 1928
- publ RCHM 1770, Dorset Central pt 1
p93-94
- publ Proc Soc Antiq 1881-06-16
- publ Proc Soc Antiq 1882-02-02
- publ MS note in DCM Boxfile Dorset:Archaeology:Romano-british
- desc 1902-05(?) dig showed 5 pavements
- desc 1881: (see Oliver 1928) red grey black white
- desc RCHM: white tess. floor; white red and various greys
- loc Paintings by Miss ME Hartley in DCM Arch. store:
X3/01 misc.F1; X33/02 misc.F1
- subst NOI
- date 1881: 4th cent. 1902: 200AD?
- comment Paintings of pavements by Eleanor Parker ?c.1881 or c.1902
-
- name Frampton pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Frampton nr Maiden Newton, 1794
- grid SY 6159 9531 (Sparey Green 1994)
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 9
- publ RCHM 1952, Dorset West p.150
- publ Farrar RAH 1956 p.81
- publ Henig M 1984
- publ CIL vii 2
- publ Frere and Tomlin 1992
p.88-89 and other refs. given there
- publ Sparey Green 1994
- desc RCHM: central medallion of a horseman spearing a lioness
[or Bellerophon killing the Chimaera, see Henig], 2 surviving square
corner panels each containing a scene from the story of Venus and Adonis.
The whole is enclosed by minor borders in guilloche and by a main
border of dolphins and cormorants emerging from a mask of Neptune with
seaweed beard and hair bedecked with lobster-claws. The two streams of
figures converge upon a figure of Cupid central in the adjacent side on
Neptune's left
- desc RIB, inscriptions:
(a) a Chi-Rho;
(b) description of Neptune,
not particularly `illiterate', pace RCHM,
NEPTUNI VERTEX REGMEN | SORTITI MOBILE VENTIS |
SCULTUM (SCULTURA, conjecture some authors) CUI CERULEA ES[T] |
DELFINIS CINCTA DUOBUS;
(c) near the Cupid,
... MUNUS PERFICIS ULLUM | ... DIGNARE CUPIDO
- loc Probably lost.
RIB: W St Clair Baddeley in pers.comm. to RG Collingwood 1924-03-30
said that in his excavations in 1903 (see Farrar) he had found no tesserae,
and reported a local tradition that the floor had been destroyed by troops
going to the Crimea 1854-5. Drawings by Lysons and Engleheart in DCM
- subst NOI
- comment Site owned by English Heritage, in care of Dorset Wildlife Trust
- cont Rhodri Evans, Dorset County Council
- cont I am indebted to
Adolfo
Zavaroni for help with the inscription
-
- name Halstock paving
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Halstock, 1817, 1830
- grid ST 54 07
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 11
- publ RCHM 1952, Dorset West
- publ Lucas RN 1971
- publ Lucas RN 1972
- publ Lucas RN 1991
- publ Lucas RN 1993
- desc 1817: dies of hard bluish granite stone, bricks, red and black,
and white pebble. 1830: a length of guilloche in tesserae of black,
white, red, yellow, dark blue or bluish-black, grey.
- loc 1817: lost; 1830: lost, copy of tracing in DCM, boxfile Halstock
- subst NOI
- date C4 (from villa)
-
- name Hemsworth pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Walls Field, Hemsworth, Withampton parish, Dorset, 1831
- grid ST 9963 0581
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 12
- publ Engleheart GH 1909,
p.1-12
- publ Dorset County
Chronicle, 1930 May 29
- publ Toynbee JMC 1964, plate 59a
- publ Sweek T et al. 2000
- desc Toynbee: (1) identified as Neptune
- desc `2 notable tesselated pavements. (1) 13ft square ... a series of
concentric bands ... in a round panel at the centre ... a vigorous and
perfect head apparently of Jupiter Tonans, with 6 forks of lightning issuing
from the curl-enriched head ... mosaic is of black, white, red, grey and
pale blue limestone (JP's emphasis) ... [May represent] Sun God.
For a better interpretation see 'interp' below.
(2) Venus panel: 16ft long by 12ft 7in broad. Venus rising from
the waves ... screened at the back by a shell ... head and body destroyed,
legs remain from hips downward ... pale blue tesserae (JP's emph.)
worked into the lower parts of the dolphins' bodies'
- desc (2) Sweek: Buff: fine-grained fossiliferous limestone (micrite);
Light grey: similar to Buff; Grey; pelletal, fossiliferous limestone
(biopelsparite); Yellow: ceramic; Dark yellow: as Yellow; Red: ceramic;
Deep red: ceramic, ferruginous; Grey-green: finely crystalline dolomitic
limestone (ferruginous microsparite)
- desc (3) A small panel of black and white mosaic from Hemsworth,
now in DORCM; not mentioned by Engleheart
- loc (1) Dorset Museum, on display 2021 Sept. in People's gallery;
(2) British Museum;
(3) DORCM, sometime before 2015 on display in Victorian hall,
to right of main entrance, close to stairs; 2020, no longer there
- subst (1) doubtful; grey-bluish limestone in circular border of roundel in (1)
does not seem to be shelly but should be studied closer;
(2) Sweek et al.: buff, grey are possible PL
- interp (1) is more reasonably understood
as a sea-god with crustacean claws in his hair
- comment see also
7 1/2inch square floor tiles from this site
- comment see also Dorset County Chronicle, 1930-05-29, `Roman Pavement
for the DCM: appeal for funds',
DCM Boxfile Dorset: Archaeology: Roman
-
- name Hinton St Mary Pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Hinton St Mary, Dorset c.1954
- grid ST 7845 1602
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 13
- publ Toynbee JMC 1963
- publ Painter KS 1964
- publ Toynbee JMC 1964b
- publ Painter KS 1965
- publ Painter KS 1967
- publ Smith DJ, Mosaic no.2, ASPROM
- desc `Colours and materials [of tesserae]: ... (2) black, grey,
white, blue, coarse buff, and grey-blue of stone'.
(Remaining tesserae are ceramic)
- loc A fragment buried in situ.
Main pavement: British Museum; formerly displayed whole, recently the roundel
has been extracted for display (c.2000)
- subst colours in italics need closer study
- date C4 AD
- comment the `head of Christ' mosaic
-
- name Lenthay Apollo and Marsyas pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Lenthay near Sherborne, 1836
- grid ST 63 76 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 15
- publ RCHM 1952 p.199-200
- desc Stylised figures of Apollo (with lyre) and Marsyas (with pipes)
- loc Sherborne Castle, dairy, on wall, now deteriorated (1994)
- subst tesserae in black, red, etc., material not known
-
- name Milton Abbas tesserae
- cat REJECT
- site Milton Abbas
- grid ST 803 018
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 16
- desc Fragment with red or yellow tesserae 1/2in sq. probably an infill
in a mosaic, `probably dumped at find-site but not recently'
(Keen L and Peers RNR)
- loc unknown (DCM?)
- subst probably non-Purbeck (ceramic)
-
- name Weymouth Newberry Road fragment
- site Newberry Road, Weymouth (near Brewers Quay), 1835 and 1902
- grid SY 679 784 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 17
- publ RCHM 1970, Dorset SE pt.1
p.45
- publ Oliver VL 1923 p.39-40
- publ Farrar RAH 1963b
- desc 1835: geometric and guilloche fragment, tesserae red, white, black,
greenish-yellow
- desc 1902: fragment 5ft by 10-12ft, border of cream and red tesserae, design
proper in black, white
- desc Oliver: tess. disarranged and wrong. Colours red, white and one or
perhaps two other colours (photo in Ashford unclear?)
- loc 1902: lifted and displayed in DCM (PDNHAS 23 xxvi), photo of it
in Ashford, on the main staircase.
One item in Weymouth Museum, Brewers Quay (1994)
- subst Cream: PL from Ridgeway; white: PS or Chalk; black: ?KS
-
- name Piddletrenthide pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Piddletrenthide c.1959
- grid SY 9929 7054
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 20
- desc B Chubb writing 1999: 40 years ago during road widening a mosaic
was broken up and the bits taken to Warmwell tip. Building destroyed behind
the butcher's shop in which under 9in of concrete
was a black and white mosaic; tess. small and regular,
similar to border of Lott and Walnes mosaic.
Nothing left of this building now.
- loc Lost
- subst non-Purbeck?
-
- name Plush pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Plush c.1740
- grid unknown
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 21
- publ Hutchins ed.3 vol.2 p.486
- publ RCHM p.219 says `pavement
not certainly Roman'
- desc Hutchins: a mosaic pavement found in the garden of the manor house
c.1740
- desc RCHM: not certainly Roman
- loc unknown
- subst NOI
- date may not be Roman
-
-
- name Portland pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Portland, unspecified
- grid SY 69 71 approx.
- source Ashford D 1998 mentions
an entry in `Col. Drew's index' and assigns number Rural 23
- publ Eliot G 1872
- desc part of a tesselated pavement
- loc unknown
- subst NOI
- date unknown
-
-
-
-
- name Purbeck House, Swanage pavement (?imitation)
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Purbeck House, Swanage
- grid SY 03 78
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 27
- publ Lewer and Calkin 1971
- desc Mosaic and mosaic replica. Replica copied from a Roman pavement
in London, Queen Victoria St.
- loc Entrance hall of Purbeck House, in situ, 1995
- subst NOI
- date there may be no actual Roman work
-
- name Tarrant Hinton pavements
- site Tarrant Hinton, Barton Field, 1845, 1968-70
- grid ST 926 119
- source
Oliver VL, hand notes in DCM
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 28
- publ Shipp 1862 3 28-33
- publ RCHM 1975, Dorset East
- publ Tanner RM 1970
- publ Tanner and Giles 1971
- publ Graham A 2006
- desc Oliver: plain mosaic floor of bands of red and white tesserae
- desc Villa, 2 small apartments about 6ft sq. paved with red and white
tess. arranged in parallel rows
- desc Frags in DORCM: red, white and 2 shades of grey
- desc Tanner: tess. of chipped Purbeck stone and boxflue tile, and some
black which were of burnt boxflue tile
- desc Tanner and Giles: building 1 room 1, plain tess. with a small random
pattern at one end of red, white and black. Tess. on plain floor 1in sq. and
made of Purbeck stone; the coloured were of boxflue tile.
Corridor (room 1.7), 38ft by 7ft6in, white tess.
with a central panel of red and white forming a zigzag pattern.
- desc Graham: quotes Tanner and Giles above, p.55, p.58.
- loc 1845 finds: DORCM 1845.3.1(A), Box LM/9 (in All Saints bay 6),
Micromusée index
recorded 1995-03-24 updated 2009-12-17;
1968-70 finds (presumably): Fragments transferred to Priest's House Museum,
Wimborne, 1994; ?laid in courtyard, as in photo in Ashford?
- subst includes PL
- date Shipp: from coins, C4; Tanner and Giles, C3-4
- comment see also
roofing,
mortars,
architectural stone,
structural stone,
inscription,
from this site
-
- name Thornford pavement
- cat REJECT
- site Thornford, 1849, 1865, 1955, 1961
- grid ST 5945 1364
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 29
- publ Parrott PA 1976
- publ Buckman J 1877
- publ Leach J 1965
- desc Tess. floor found by H Abbott while draining a field 1849
- desc Buckman: 4 mosaic pavements, tess. about 1 1/2in sq. of white lias
(grey) probably from Sparkford, and broken potsherds
- desc Leach: rm IV, simple tess. pavement of white lias and [some brick];
not necessarily the same as Buckman's find
- loc unknown
- subst non-Purbeck
-
-
- name Jordan Hill grave tesserae
- cat REJECT
- site Jordan Hill, Weymouth near Temple
- grid SY 6989 8201
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 31
- publ Shipp MS vol 2 in DCM library
- desc `One of the graves was floored with large tess. of chalk'
- subst non-Purbeck
-
- name Preston villa pavements
- site Preston Villa,
Weymouth
- grid SY 7029 8270
- source Beavis p.201
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 32
- publ March HC 1900b (with plan)
- publ Drew CD 1932
- publ - Baker T, J Brit Arch Assn 28 94-96
- publ Stuart MG 1889 p.xxix
- publ ? Austen JH 1856-7, Purbeck Papers, supplement (in DCM)
- publ undated paper by `TBG' in DCM, box Archaeology: RB Mosaics,
no.4
- publ Oliver VL 1923
- publ Illus London News 1871-09-02 p.208
- publ RCHM 1970 SE 3 pl.225
- desc Beavis: `white and bluish-white tesserae and Portland Stone',
bluish-white could be PM.
- desc
Drew 1932: `Reused Roman roof slabs'
and `2 frags of nether stone of a quern' used in a floor; also a part
of a chair in Kimmeridge shale (loc DCM). Loose tess. about 1in sq.
both red and white, between the pavement and the river
- desc Osmond Fisher in Stuart 1888: the white tesserae are PL. There are
tess. red (tile), brown and white.
- desc March: assoc. with coins 237--267AD; white and bluish tess. are
Purbeck stone which outcrops locally, [e.g. at
Poxwell and
Upwey]
- desc TBG: white tesserae are [hard] chalk, brown resemble
Portland Sand
- subst by consensus, PL
- date from assoc. coins, mid-C3
- comment Coloured drawing by CR Crickmay in DCM Art Collection,
reprod. in monochrome in March 1900
- comment Site found by James Medhurst 1844,
pavement and bath discovered 1852 by Mr Scutt (March 1900)
during diversion works on R.Jordan,
covered, reopened 1871 and cover building erected, then abused (Oliver 1923),
`still repairable' 1932, covered in concrete 1946
-
- name Wimborne Minster fragment
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Wimborne Minster, in the church, 1857
- grid SY 99 99 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 33
- publ Farrar RAH 1962
- publ RCHM 1975, Dorset East
- publ 1912, PDNHAS 34 30 (?)
- desc A fragment of tess. pavement discovered 1857 during renovations,
near base of a pier of the nave; 12in by 8in max. of red and light grey
(Mayo's white) tess. about 1 1/4in sq. 9in below present floor.
- loc unknown
- subst NOI
- date PDNHAS 34(?): early Roman
-
- name Wynford Eagle pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Wynford Eagle, immediately SW of Manor Farm
- grid SY 53 94 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 35
- publ RCHM 1952, Dorset West p.269
- publ 1864, J Brit Archaeol Ass 20 273
- publ DCM, paper archive box 149/1
- desc Red, white/cream, brown (soft Kimmeridge), larger grey tess.
About half the pavement uncovered 1935
- loc Fragment (curly dolphin) in DCM
- subst NOI
Cranborne Chase
-
-
- name Gussage St Andrew pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Gussage St Andrew (Minchington), 1986
- grid ST 975 143
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 10
- publ Green MT 1990
- publ Hutchins ed 3 vol.2 p.547
- publ RCHM 1975 p.69
- desc discovered by Elizabeth Waller 1986
- desc Green: Fieldwalking 1987-8 found a spread of RB building material
50m across, including PL and clay rooftiles, sandstone and tufa blocks,
limestone and clay tesserae, latter of small size. Excavation showed
a pavement of coarse white tesserae, and some black, white, red finer
tesserae
- desc Hutchins: tiles of Tisbury
stone, plastered walls, red and white tesserae the size of dice
- loc Present location, museum, cat.number
- subst NOI
- date C3-4 (pottery)
- comment near Sixpenny Handley
-
- name Myncen Farm pavement
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Myncen Farm, Sixpenny Handley, 1998
- grid SU 99 17 approx
- source Green CS 1998 p.91
- desc Fragmentary geometric mosaic ... The outer flooring consisted of
a band ... of coarse light grey limestone tesserae ... Within this ... a
band 0.3m wide of medium sized light grey limestone tesserae. This contained
a panel 2.6m by at least 2.2m of fine tesserae in five colours [including]
white, cream and dark grey ... of a character with other Durotrigian
pavements
- subst NOI
Devon
-
- name Holcombe villa pavements
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Holcombe, Devon (near Uplyme, Dorset), 1853
- grid SY 32 93 approx
- source Ashford D 1998 Rural 36
- publ 1870, Archaeologia 43 462
- publ Arch J 11 49
- publ 1973, Antiq J 52 pt.1
- publ 1974, Proc Devon Arch Ass
- publ Fox, Aileen, [Archaeology of] SW England, 172
- desc
1. Mosaic: tess. of red, blue, white, and dove-coloured
2. Octagonal bath 11 1/2ft. diameter, floored with tess. of pale fawn
- loc Some may be at Exeter museum (photos of fragments in Ashford)
- subst NOI
- comment DCM Donor Index has `Cunnington E: 1884.9 Roman tess. pavement.
Portion from Whitlands, Lyme Regis'
Hampshire
-
- name Rockbourne Purbeck paving
- site Rockbourne villa, Hants
- grid SU 120 170
- publ
Morley Hewitt AT 1965
- desc Room VIII (triclinium probably) Red tesserae from
flue tiles; white, of Purbeck stone; black, generally of Kimmeridge shale.
[Geometric key pattern in middle of pavement of coarser tesserae.]
- subst Morley-Hewitt: PL
- comment Purbeck stone probably from
Tisbury outcrop
-
- name Silchester `church' paving
- site Silchester, Roman `church', Insula IV
- grid SU 63 62
- source Calkin JB 1968,
Ancient Purbeck, p.33, 42
- publ Boon GC 1957 p.128
- publ Boon 1974 p.177
- desc Boon 1957: `5ft sq panel of coarse mosaic ... containing
a bold chequer pattern of black and white, surrounded by 7 lozenges on each
side, alternately of red and grey-green Purbeck cubes'. Pl.9 is
photograph of mosaic in situ.
- desc Boon 1974: Pavement `design of black and white chequers on a quarterly
countercharged background of the same, within a border of red and grey-green
Purbeck lozenges on white'. Pl.27 p.202 shows the mosaic in situ.
- subst Calkin: PM. Boon: not clearly defined as PM, but (JP) the colours and
the use in mosaic make PM likely
- comment The identification of this building as a church is disputed, but
Boon accepts it as correct
-
- name Silchester tesserae
- site Ins. XIX, Silchester
- grid SU 63 62
- source not recorded by Beavis
- publ Hope and Fox 1898 p. 249
- publ Boon GC 1957 p.154
- publ Boon GC 1974 p.214
- publ Allen and Fulford 2004 p. 17
- desc Mosaic, part of remains of an early house found in the courtyard of
house no.2 in insula XIX.
Hope and Fox say:
Black tesserae ... sandy limestone
white ... hard chalk
dull orange ... veins in the black limestone, or may have been
produced by burning the black, for in one of the pavements of
House no. 1, insula XIV, in a spot subjected to fire, the black
tesserae had been partially changed to orange
grey ... perhaps produced from the white by [fire]
dark greenish-grey ... always Purbeck marble
reds ... always brick, of two qualities, one orange ... other ... red
pale yellows ... perhaps also brick (?)
Average size of tessserae is the usual 1/2in square, but in much
of the work it is much smaller.
Hope and Fox go on to date the pavement early on stylistic grounds.
It contains a remarkable area with a vine pattern identified as
Smilax aspera in monochrome.
- desc Boon 1957, and 1974 p.214,
gives a list of tessera materials from Silchester including
``pink: limestone (Dorset)'' and
``grey-green: Purbeck marble (Dorset)''.
The first may refer to the "church"
but the latter probably to Hope and Fox cited here.
- desc Allen and Fulford identify Hope and Fox's mosaic above as
Mosaic 2 from House 2 in Reading Museum. They are unable to confirm
that the grey-green is PM. They state on geological grounds
that the black(?) is Kimmeridge cementstone.
- loc Reading Museum, Mosaic 2 from House 2
- subst Kimmeridge cementstone; PL?
- date Hope and Fox, Allen and Fulford: C1/2
-
-
- name Allen and Fulford 2004
- cat RELATED
- site Silchester, and various
- grid SU 63 62
- source Allen and Fulford 2004
- desc Sample of 1309 whole or partial tesserae recovered from Silchester
Insula IX excavations 1997--2003. Grouped into lithological classes of
which the most common (`La') is carbonaceous, yellow-grey to yellow-black.
Identified from the dolomites in it as cementstone from the Kimmeridge
formation of Dorset, such as outcrops in bands at Kimmeridge Bay.
Further conclusion that the mudstone tesserae
and opus sectile
from Norden are not from the Purbeck formation,
but Kimmeridge cementstone also.
Discussion of the distribution of this stone in southern England which
is not irrelevant to the distribution of Purbeck stone as well.
- loc Reading Museum
- subst Cementstone from Kimmeridge formation
- comment This note to be added to!
Isle of Wight
Wiltshire
-
- name Downton Tesserae
- site Downton, Wilts
- grid SU 18 21
- publ Rahtz 1963 p.326
- desc Large Tesserae:
offwhite or pale buff: sandy shelly limestone similar to specimens of
Purbeck age from Swanage (HM Macdonald, Geol. Survey, MOW refs. 570180, 570183):
Room VI, and Room IV infilling
- subst PL by Geological Survey opinion
Sussex
-
- name Fishbourne PM paving
- site Fishbourne, room N20, 2nd Period
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.42
- desc
`The most elaborate of the Second Period mosaics ... The petals of the flowers
were infilled with white, red brick, a yellow siltstone ... and a
purple-toned PM. The leaves ... contained the same combination of colours.
The enclosing circular guilloche incorporated bands of blue PM ... The
full range of all these colours was ... in the spandrel designs.'
- subst PM
-
- site Fishbourne, room N21, 2nd Period
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.42
- desc
`The mosaic ... was predominantly white, red and blue against a black
background. The red was of fine-grained fired clay, the blue is probably
a variety of PM.'
- subst ? PM
-
- site Fishbourne, Room N13, 3rd Period
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe, 1971 p.42
- desc
`Another purple ... in the Medusa head and the guilloche ... was made from
a very hard stone which may be one of the PM bands.'
- subst ? PM
Kent
-
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Aldington, Kent
- source Scott KE2
- desc `small marble tesserae found by the Ashford Archaeological Society'
is all Scott has to tell.
London
-
East Anglia
-
- name Colchester Purbeck tesserae
- site Colchester, Castle/Temple area, 1977
- grid TL 99 25
- source Drury PJ 1984 p.40
- desc Tesserae in creamy white Purbeck stone, up to c.15 by 40mm, presumed
to be from geometric black-and-white mosaics of the post-Boudiccan
period
- subst PL
- date AD62+
- interp Post-Boudiccan reconstruction: C1 black-and-white mosaic
Midlands
-
-
- name Dyer Street pavements found 1849
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Cirencester, Dyer St, 1849
- grid SP 03 02
- source Buckman and Newmarch 1851 p.35,
plate facing p.36
- desc Plate shows a winged sea-beast and ?dolphin in blue and many other
blue tesserae
- desc p.48 `The materials of the tessellae' (sic) Yellows are of several
shades but all Oolite freestone. Slate colours from different colours of
Lias rock. (Effects of polishing the pavement once laid): Cream and grey,
from their hardness, took a fine polish ... Reds, being terra-cotta,
remain opaque
- desc `Natural Tessellae' (sic) (descriptions paraphrased a bit)
1. White chalk: soft, used sparingly.
2. Cream colour: Limestone band, middle of Gt Oolite, of which 4ft
is exposed at Trensbury quarry. (Lysons says these are Polombino from
Italy; Buckman/Newmarch disagree, after examining it chemically and
geologically.) .
3. Grey (and light olive): same lithology as the cream, evident on
breaking them.
4. Yellow: principally from local gravel. Some which are brighter than the
rest are local Sarsen stone. Many of the oolite beds furnish
stones which turn yellowish on exposure from oxidisation of contained iron.
5. Chocolate: Old Red Sandstone, nearest source Herefordshire.
6. Slate colour: dark Liassic.
7,8. Reds: ceramic.
9. Black: Exceedingly brittle, appear to be from dark clays, perhaps with
addition of a black pigment (and further altered by heat). We consider that
they were not so much baked as sundried. The harder ones were
`smother baked'.
10. Glass: Only one figure at Cirencester contains glass. Not uncommon in
Continental mosaics. Ruby glass oxidises to verdigris colour.
Above remarks presumably apply also to the 1777
Dyer Street pavement.
- subst unknown
-
- name Verulamium PM tesserae
- site Verulamium, Ins.IV, bldgs 2,8
- grid TL 13 07
- source
Cookson NA 1984 p.104
- publ Wheeler 1936 p.147
- desc Cookson: In Ins.IV, bldgs 2 and 8 at Verulamium ...
were found [tesserae of] ... oak blue (Purbeck marble) ...
- desc Wheeler: p.140 No evidence for buildings other than timber
before C2.
p.142: A few frags of PM
were found in and near the `triangular' temple.
p.148: Materials used for tesserae: ... Dark blue: PM; a few
specimens alsof of the red and green type of PM which outcrops on the shore
[near] Swanage
- subst Cookson: PM; Wheeler: PM
-
- name Hackleton tesserae
- cat DOUBTFUL
- site Hackleton, Northants (Piddington)
- grid SP 7965 5400
- source Scott NH54
(mentioned only in the Appendix on marble)
- publ - VCH Northants 1 (1902) p. 198
(agrees with citation in RB in 1980)
- publ - Northants Arch. 14 (1979) p. 106
- publ - BNFAS 8 (1973) p. 14-15
- publ - RCHM Northants, 2 (1979) site 11
- publ Grew FO 1981,
RB in 1980, Britannia 12 p.342
- publ 1982, Current Archaeology 82 p.384 wrong reference
- desc marble tesserae
- desc
RB in 1980: Roofs of tile and stone slates; Purbeck not mentioned
- comment see also
Scott SY3, Ashtead, Surrey
and roofing from Hackleton
- cont Friendship-Taylor RM and DE, Woodfield C and P, excavators
Wales
Northern Britain
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