The Mosaics

The tessellated pavement comprises a floor of red tile tesserae. The recorded mosaic comprises a two colour tessellated pavement or floor of geometric design. Details relating to the stylistic designs of the mosaics are not provided here. Information can be found in Atkinson (1929) and Neal & Cosh (2002).

North Block - Room L: - (Neal & Cosh 2004, 215, 71.2) The large mosaic in the central room  of the North Block was the best preserved and recorded of the mosaics from the site. However, no records of this other than the published report exist.  Most of the mosaic was in a bad state of preservation and more than half had disappeared. The best preserved section was on the south side and south-western corner (Atkinson 1929, 180). This is clearly illustrated in (Atkinson 1929, Plate, V, fig. 2). This is the only known photograph of the mosaic at the time of excavation, however, it was taken at such an oblique angle and shows no detail of the floor design. (Atkinson 1929, 180)

When comparing the coloured reconstruction of the mosaic (Atkinson 1929, facing 166), it is clear that only the south-western corner of the mosaic was drawn and recorded, leaving a large part un-represented i.e. southern and south-eastern corner which is clearly visible in (Atkinson 1929, Plate V, fig. 2). Measuring 4m by 2.45m (3.05m across proposed central panel) – see fig. 6 recorded section of mosaic in relation to Room L floor space.

After the excavation a thatched wooden hut was erected over the mosaic. In 1969, due to the state of repair of the hut and damage happening to the mosaic from rabbits, the hut was dismantled and the area permanently taken out of agriculture to help afford its protection. The landowner was also concerned about the state of the mosaic as large fragments were lifting. Recently it was communicated to Michael de Bootman that in the late 1950’s Rainbird Clarke visited the site and commented that chickens were being kept in the hut and scratching up the mosaic. (pers. comms. Barbara Green) The area which was de-limited within the site for the protection of the mosaic has over the years gradually diminished in size.

North Block – Corridor (Room G1/G2): - (Neal & Cosh 2004, 215, 71.1) ‘Opposite the north side of the entrance, against the east wall of Room L, (Corridor G1/G2) was a small patch of red and white stepped pattern, enclosed by blue bands, running across the corridor’ (Atkinson 1929, 174). Measuring 0.45m by 0.60m. (Neal & Cosh 2002, 215) ‘The design ran across the width of the porticus and, as the fragment was situated close to the entrance, it is possible that it formed a border to a threshold panel’)

North Block – Corridor (Room R): - (Neal & Cosh 2004, 216, 71.3) ‘Further south, behind Room N on the east side of the corridor, a fragment 4 feet long showed a white stripe 1 foot wide, set between red tesserae, while near the west wall was a patch of white tesserae within rows of red squares 6 inches by 6 inches. In this part, however, the pavement was too fragmentary to enable the pattern to be made out’ (Atkinson 1926, 183). Measuring 1.22m by over 0.30m.

South Block – Room I: - (Neal & Cosh 2004, 216, 71.4) Another smaller less elaborate mosaic was located by Charlton. When this was first uncovered it was largely intact ‘this was, however, much damaged before it was again covered up, and it was subsequently found impossible to reconstruct more than a small portion of the pattern’ (Atkinson 1929, 184).  After Mr. Charlton’s death the rooms that he had excavated were lightly covered up with soil to protect them from the frost.  It is assumed that the damage to this mosaic happen before Atkinson became involved in the excavation.  It is not stated (Atkinson 1929, 184) how this damage occurred, although by inference Atkinson suggests that Mr. Charlton destroyed the floor. However, Atkinson also states ‘It consisted of a guilloche border framing two elaborate spirals in the north-east and south-east corners, but the rest of the pattern had already been destroyed in 1923’. Although Atkinson reconstructed part of this mosaic (Atkinson 1929, plate XIII) this would imply that this was the north-east corner and the south-east corner was not recorded.

Other Evidence: - During fieldwork on the site during the early 1980’s large amounts tesserae were recovered in the area of the North and South Blocks, some fragments still adhering to each other. Large quantities of red tesserae were located in the area of Room N, North Block.  In the excavations of 1922-23 this room provided the best preserved tessellated pavement with most of the floor still intact. Other buildings directly north-east and south-west of the North and South blocks (Area C and D, de Bootman 2001, 137-138) were also being damaged by the plough. Evidence from Area C suggested that this building may be a detached bath-house and possibly also had some tessellated floors together with a mosaic.

Room L, looking North-West, showing large Mosaic and flint foundation over "swallow-hole". Courtesy of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society.