Monument record MDO6669 - Preston Roman Villa, Weymouth

Roman villa with a mosaic originally discovered by Medhurst in 1844.

A well preserved Roman tessellated pavement, possibly a bath also, were found when altering the course of the River Jordan in 1852; they were covered over shortly after until 1871 when the British Archaeological Association visited it. The building remains comprised a wall 65ft 8ins long, the court containing the pavement was 21ft square, and the pavement itself 15ft square (see illustration). There was another room on the south-west, and another 12ft square on the south-east, both roughly paved with tessarae. The pavement was roofed over by 1888, but soon after 1900, the pavement suffered neglect and the roof fell into disrepair. Much Romano-British pottery found in the vicinity as well as coins dating from Gordian to Postimus - a period of about 30 years from AD 237-267. Excavated in 1932 by Lt. Col Drew. It was found that the south wall of the building rested on Roman foundations extending from 'A-D' (see plan). Traces of Roman foundations were also found under the north wall of the yardfrom 'E-F'. Within this enclosed area a number of sherds, fragments of roofing tiles, nails, Kimmeridge shale, tesserae and bronze were found, but previous excavation had made stratification impossible. At a depth of about 2ft a paving of limestone slabs was found, also part of a quern. In one place this paving overlaid the top course of the Roman foundations, thus post-dating the latter. A furnace was found; the stoke-hole being filled with Romano-British pottery. Beneath this paving the Kimmeridge shale furniture leg was found at 'G'. It appears that when the stream was diverted, the new course cut through the villa and more remains were encountered at 'H'. 10-20 yards south-west trial pits proved another range of buildings, probably running north to south. Other finds included Samian and New Forest ware, wall plaster, etc. <1> <3> <5> <6> The tessellated pavement was covered with a concrete flooring about 1948 after permission had been granted by Lt.Col. Drew. No recent finds are known to have been made. The modern building over the pavement is used as a store and in view of Authority 6's statement, was not inspected. Along 'E-F' on plan Authority 5, a modern wall now stands and no trace of the Roman foundations is visible above ground level. There is no trace of the wall from 'A-D'. On the east side of the stream, 3.0m south of the prolongation of the south wall of the modern building, in the bank of the stream 0.3m from the top of the bank, a layer of small stones was explored, possibly part of foundations, but ofinsufficient extent to be conclusive. The shale leg is in the Dorset County Museum together with other finds of the 1932 excavation and is labelled as a table leg. <7> (70298270) Roman Villa at Preston. The mosaic occupying a room 21ft square, appears to have been at the north west angle of two ranges running due east and south respectively. A border of coarse white tesserae with a red band, and an inner border of finer white tesserae with black band, enclosed an oblong guilloche-framed panel in black, white and red, of perhaps 18ft by 12ft apparently with long axis east to west. This panel consisted of two end-panels with running leaf scrolls flanking a square panel cut off at the corners to form an octagon containing a rosette in a central square; the spandrels were filled with frets and triangles. The design was apparently symmetrical except perhaps for maladjustment of central square to octagon shown in the DCM version of Crickmay's drawing on which the illustration is based. The materials were said to be Kimmeridge shale, Purbeck stone, and tile. The floor, some part of which including a corner were damaged, was not completely exposed until 1871, when some of the surrounding area was examined. There were no remains to north, but Baker found 'a room at the south west with very rough tesserae, the court paved with stone at the centre, and a room to the south east about twelve feet square, also roughly paved with tesserae.' His account refers to a wall 63ft 8ins long, and perhaps to three other rooms, one 12ft by 11.5ft and two of non ascertained dimensions. Small tiles 8ins square of chalk and shale (some of the latter in DCM) were said to come from the villa. Drew disclosed south and east wall foundations of the mosaic chamber partly under those of the protective building erected by Baker, and two parallel walls running east in alignment with this chamber, forming a north range at least 98ft long until cut by the stream. Of Drew's parallel walls, the north, consisting of a single diagonally pitched limestone course, lay throughout beneath the modern yard wall and was probably Baker's long wall; the south wall, 2ft 4ins wide at base, was of two courses pitched in clay with a single mortared course set back above. The area between had a well-worn floor of limestone slabs of Roman date, in part over-riding and hence later than the wall foundations, occasional patches of ash where paving was missing, and at the east end (70318270) a stokehole and rectangular oven or furnace, 2.5ft by 1.75ft, apparently contemporary with the floor. A table-leg of Kimmeridge shale was found below a floor-slab. Foundations and loose red and white tesserae were found in a test pit across the stream to south (70328269), and three test pits 10 to 20 yards south west of the mosaic suggested a west range running north to south. Finds included painted wall-plaster, clay and stone roof-tiles, coins of Carausius (286-93) and Constans (issue of 335-41) and pottery mainly of the 3rd or 4th century including ware of New Forest type, in DCM. Part of an antefix of red clay (in DCM), similar to those from Dorchester but not from the same mould, may come from the site. <8> DO 34 Listed as the site of a Roman villa. <9>

Record last edited

Apr 6 2023 3:23PM