Monument record MDO18991 - 37 Glyde Path Road, Dorchester; Roman building

Fragments of a Roman building were exposed in foundation trenches for a new extension to the rear of 37 Glyde Path Road, Dorchester in November 1957. The building remains comprised a single wall footing of flint, aligned roughly N-S, with fragments of tesselated floors on both the west and east sides. To the west was a fragment of a mosaic floor comprising parts of two medallions enclosed within swastika-meander. To the east was a coarse red tesselated floor, perhaps the border to another mosaic. Some fragments of in situ maroon painted plaster were found on the wall and large quantities of painted plaster and some ceramic roof tile was found in the demolition layers above the floor. No dating evidence for this building was recovered. The presence of the mosaic floor indicates that the building was of some pretension and was most probably a town house. No evidence for the function of the rooms was recovered and the size and layout of the building is not known.

Fragments of a Roman building were exposed in foundation trenches for a new extension to the rear of 37 Glyde Path Road, Dorchester in November 1957. The remains were investigated and recorded by R N R Peers and H S L Dewar. <1-2>

The building remains comprise a single wall footing of flint, 0.6m wide, and aligned roughly N-S, with fragments of tesselated floors on both the west and east sides. The wall continued beyond the edges of the trench.

On the west side of the wall were the fragmentary remains of a mosaic in dark grey, red, white, buff, pale blue and yellow tesserae, comprising parts of two medallions, one in round-tongued double guilloche and the other in right-angled Z pattern enclosing a heart-shaped leaf in the centre. The medallions appear to have been enclosed by swastika-meander<3>. The mosaic was bedded on a layer of opus signinum over a thin layer of yellow mortar on a bed of chalk rubble, which was laid on top of a soil layer. The area between the mosaic and the wall had been disturbed.

On the east side of the wall was the remains of a coarse red tesselated floor adjacent to the wall, perhaps the border to another mosaic to the east. The junction between the wall and the floor had a quarter-round moulding of maroon-coloured plaster, similar to traces of in situ plaster on the wall. The level of the eastern floor was about 0.15m lower than the western floor.

There was a large quantity of painted wall plaster debris, including maroon and yellow fragments, ceramic roof tile fragments and pieces of limestone overlying the floor, presumably the remnants from the demolition of the building.

No dating evidence for this building was recovered. The presence of the mosaic floor indicates that the building was of some pretension and was most probably a town house. No evidence for the function of the rooms was recovered and the size and layout of the building is not known.

<1> Farrar, R A H, 1957, Miscellaneous Discoveries and Museum Accessions. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO9482.

<2> Farrar, R A H, 1960, A fragment of mosaic in Glyde Path Road, Dorchester. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO9737.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 567, no. 207a (Monograph). SDO150.

<3> Cosh, S R, and Neal, D S, 2005, Roman Mosaics of Britain. Volume II South-west Britain, 165.17 (Monograph). SDO10182.

<3.1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, RCHM Mss file (Unpublished document). SDO18524.

<3.2> Unpublished Site Notebook in Dorset County Museum, Colliton Park site notebook III, 7 (Unpublished document). SWX8275.

<3.3> Moule, H J, n. d., Notes made by Mr H. J. Moule on Roman mosaic floors found in or around Dorchester (Unpublished document). SDO10092.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1410205 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:35PM