Monument record MDO3457 - Possible Roman Villa, Wynford Eagle

Tesselated pavement discovered before 1864. Excavation uncovered the remains of a tessellated pavement, coins, potsherds and fragments of wall plaster indicating a possible villa site.

"Mr J. T. Irvine laid before the meeting 5 sestterii found in a bank near the Roman villa at WYNFORD EAGLE, DORSET" - worn coins, one of NERVA, one of TRAJAN, and 3 of HADRIAN. <1>

Passing reference to a Ro. pavement at SYNFORD. <2>

"A fragment of a figured mosaic pavement was found in the garden of WYNFORD HOUSE, MAIDEN NEWTON" [WYNFORD HOUSE at SY 57509520]. <3>

R.B. sherds, tesserae and fragments of wall plaster found at the villa at WYNFORD HOUSE, WYNFORD EAGLE; 1947/17. <4>

"Tesselated pavement immediately S.W. of MANOR Fm must have been discovered before 1864, when reference is made to five coins…found in the bank of earth near the villa. About half the same pavement was uncovered in 1935; it had guilloche borders, foilage, and a dolphin (1) [MANOR FARM: (DORSET 39 NE) Centred at SY 58369598]. <5>

The J.R.S. siting [T.I. <3>] is correct. The only authority for RCHM siting is a queried red cross on a plan. Lord WYNFORD, in writing to the Dorset Arch Soc., indicated his own land, WYNFORD HOUSE, and in a reference to the earlier find said he thought he had stumbled on a well-kept secret of his ancestor. The portion excavated had raised edges, indicating the edge, but no walls found. <6>

The authority (T2) <1> is incorrect in assigning the site of the Ro. Villa to MANOR FARM. The villa was found about 1935 at WYNFORD HOUSE, when fence posts were being put in the ground. The pavement was partly uncovered and galvanized iron placed over the top. The frost lifted many of the tesserae and the pavement was consequently re-covered. The site was near the kitchen garden of WYNFORD HOUSE. <7>

The pavement was covered with iron sheeting in 1945, but filled in and the sheeting topped with soil soon afterwards. The pavement was situated in the kitchen garden; it was fragmentary, but measured about 7yds x 5yds, the long post being in an E-W direction. No finds have been made while digging the kitchen garden during the last ten years. The pavement and the covering sheeting are 2ft below the surface. <8>

[SY 57489520]. The position of the covered pavement was pointed out on the ground by Mrs ALDRIDGE, and the siting relates to the centre of the pavement. The area is now covered by a large kitchen garden. No surface finds were observed while at the sites. <9>

Rivet defines this site as a class "A" villa although there does not seem to be any evidence to support this. <10>

DO 38 Roman building material partially excavated here which suggests the site of a Roman villa. <11>

<1> British Archaeological Association, 1864, Journal of the British Archaeological Association 20, 273 (Serial). SDO20221.

<2> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1865, Archaeological Journal 22, 345 (Serial). SDO20219.

<3> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1936, Journal of Roman Studies 26, 260 (Serial). SDO20220.

<4> Dorset County Museum, Dorset County Museum Accessions Book (Unpublished document). SWX1315.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 269 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(1) Tesselated pavement, immediately S.W. of Manor Farm, must have been discovered before 1864, when reference is made (B.A.A. Journ., XX, p.273) to five coins, one of Nerva, one of Trajan and three of Hadrian found in a bank of earth near the Roman villa. About half the same pavement was uncovered in 1935; it had guilloche borders, foliage and a dolphin'.

<6> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 23-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<7> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 23-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<7.1> Chick, W, Oral: Mr Chick (farmer and occupier), Wynford Eagle Manor, Wynford Eagle (Verbal communication). SDO20049.

<8> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F3 NVQ 23-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<8.1> Aldridge, Mrs, Oral: Mrs Aldridge (occupier), Wynford House (Verbal communication). SDO20222.

<9> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F4 NVQ 23-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<10> Rivet, A L F, 1969, The Roman Villa in Britain, 279 (Monograph). SDO17841.

<11> Scott, E, 1993, A Gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, 56 No 1 (Bibliographic reference). SWX1795.

<12> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<13> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450700 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 26 2023 6:38PM