EDO4443 - Primitive Methodist Chapel, Durngate Street, Dorchester; salvage recording 1905

A Roman mosaic was found in the summer of 1905 during the construction of a new school attached to the Primitive Methodist Chapel (now the Salvation Army Hall), Durngate Street (1) (2). It was found by workmen digging the foundations for the new building and was then carefully exposed and cleaned with water under the supervision of the architect Mr. Jem Feacey (1). It was relaid in the Dorchester County Museum by Italian workmen from Messrs Ward & Co, of Bedford (2) (3) (4) (5). No trace of the walls or any other elements of the associated building were recorded. The mosaic is probably of mid-4th century AD date and is the only reasonably certain example of a mosaic of the 'Durnovarian School' (3).