Monument record MDO1939 - Roman building near The Manor House, Piddletrenthide

A mosaic pavement is said to have been found near the Manor House around 1740 or possibly in 1830 when the grounds were remodelled. This report may indicate the presence of a Roman villa or high status building in the area, though It Is not certain that the find was a Roman mosaic.

Roman Building (presumed), is indicated by a mosaic pavement that was found circa 1740 near the Manor House (Hutchins IV 486). The site is suitable for a villa, being close to the east bank of the River Piddle and at the west end of a re-entrant valley at about 330ft above Ordnance Datum. However, the pavement is not certainly Roman.' (Present Manor House gardens centred at ST 703000). <1>

There are no visible remains of the pavement. Major Geffers the current owner reports that the discovery was made when the Manor grounds were remodelled in 1830, and that the pavement was found at SY 70359996, now an area of lawn. He also reports that rectangular cropmarks can be observed in the lawn under favourable conditions. <2>

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 221 (Monograph). SDO136.

(42) ROMAN BUILDING (presumed), is indicated by a mosaic pavement that was found c. 1740 near the Manor House (Hutchins IV, 486). The site is suitable for a villa, being close to the E. bank of the R. Piddle and at the W. end of a re-entrant valley at about 330 ft. above O.D. However, the pavement is not certainly Roman.

<2> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 10-OCT-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<2.1> Geffers, Maj I G H, Oral: Major I G H Geffers, The Manor House, Piddletrenthide (Verbal communication). SDO19975.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 454782 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 12:41PM