Monument record MDO6655 - Possible Roman villa at Newberry Road, Weymouth

Finds of Roman building debris and mosaics in the Newberry Road/Spring Terrace area originally discovered in 1835 and later in 1902, may indicate the site of a probable Roman villa.

(Area SY 67987845) A Roman tessellated pavement, originally discovered in 1835, was found during building operations by Mr Board, 13 Raneleigh Road, Weymouth in 1902. The pavement was off Newbury Terrace on the east side of Dorset Place 'in a field adjoining Newberry Gardens on the west' and so probably under the houses. It was purchased for Dorchester Museum in 1902 and a Saxon sceat, said to have been found on it, was presented to the Museum by Dr March in 1902. <1-4> (SY 67997839) "I found the pavement when I built the house about 1902. It was only a small portion about 18 ins below ground level. It was found while the foundations of perhaps the 3rd or 4th house dug up from the South East corner of Dorset Place were being dug. I am not clear which house it was but it was in the front of it. I superintended the removal of the pavement and I remember neither coins nor walls in the area. Dr March is unknown to me" <5.1>. (SY 67987844) "I was present when the pavement was found and I pointed it out to Mr Board. It seemed to be part of a passage but no walls were found. It was right in the centre of No 19 and there were no coins". <5.2> Mr Board is "failing". Mr Gill in a brief telephone call recounted all the facts in a firm voice and without hesitation. He was quite definite about his statement and is evidently interested in archaeology generally. No 19 Newberry Terrace is on land which falls gently to the south. See sketch plan. <5> A villa is probably indicated by the mosaic or mosaics found in 1835 and 1902. The corner of the mosaic floor removed to the Dorset County Museum in 1902 was found east of the road, about SY 67987839, and is probably distinct from the tessellated pavement found nearby in 1835 perhaps under Spring Terrace, SY 67977837. (6) There is a close association between the 1835 and 1902 discoveries probably indicating an extensive villa complex. <6> The pavement was off Newbury Terrace on the east side of Dorset Place in a field adjoining Newberry Gardens on the west and so probably under the houses at Spring Terrace. The surviving pattern of five colours, was 10 and a half feet by 5 feet. It had a coarse border of two red lines on a white ground enclosing a finer triple border of black and white chevrons, guilloche in black, white, brown and red, and chequers in white red, grey and brown. Some of the centre panel survived, it was decorated with a white ground divided into triangular spaces by three oblique lines of guilloche. A small part of the base of one triangle was of different coloured tesserae set lozenge-wise. This may have been a curvilinear pattern. The mosaic found in 1902 to the east of the road may be different to the tessellated pavement found in 1835 perhaps under Spring Terrace, SY 67977837. <7> DO 31-33 Possibly part of the same villa. <8>

Record last edited

Dec 2 2022 12:36PM