EDO4635 - Tilley's Motor Salesrooms, 45 South Street, Dorchester; casual observation 1905

A mosaic pavement was found in 1905 whilst building Tilley's Motor Salesrooms, 45 South Street, Dorchester. The whole pavement, including a surround of coarse grey tesserae varied with a narrow band or bands of red and with finer white tesserae on the inside, was some 14ft square. The design, in black, white, red and grey 0.5in tesserae, was a panel 8ft square bordered with two strand guilloche enclosing quadrants at the corners and containing an 8-pointed star formed by two intersecting squares, also of two strand guilloche. The destroyed centre was almost certainly a circular medallion with quatrefoil. Very similar to a late 4th century mosaic in ancillary buildings at the temple at Lydney. Two coins of Constans (AD 333-50) were found on the pavement. Remains seen in 1964 suggested that the building continued to the south.