EDO5457 - Nave of Wimborne Minster; observations and recording 1857

In 1857 an area of tesselated pavement was observed during renovations of the nave under T H Wyatt. This event was described by Dr Charles Mayo in his 'History of Wimborne Minster' published in 1860: 'Close to the base of the easternmost nave-pier, on the south side, at about eighteen inches below the present pavement, was uncovered a small piece of what appeared to be Roman tessellated pavement. The fragment, which did not cover more than two or three square feet, was composed of red and white tesserae, about an inch square. At all events it must be a piece of the floor of some former building, whether Roman or not, for it is too far below the bases of the columns to have ever been part of the floor of the present church. It has now been completely covered by the new floor, so that it it not likely that there will be another opportunity of instpecting it for some time.' and 'It has been conjectured that the Minster stands on the site of a Roman building, but we must own that a small piece of what appears to be Roman tesselated pavement existing under the present floor of the nave, and dubious assertions that traces of Roman work exist in the parts of the walls below ground are the only evidence to be adduced.' Quoted by Farrar (1)