EDO6488 - Nunnery Mead, Frampton; geophysical survey 2018

Dave Stewart and Paul Cheetham carried out a geophysical survey in the field known as Nunnery Mead, owned by Dorset Wildlife Trust. A scheduled Roman building was situated to the southern end of the field which was mostly used as a bedwork water meadow. Excavation in the 18th century had revealed areas of elaborate mosaic but no plan of the structural remains had been made. The building was thought to be a temple because of the religious iconography. The survey comprised magnetometry using a Bartington 601 gradiometer with 1m spaced twin meters, taking readings at 25cm intervals. The scheduled and non scheduled areas of the field were surveyed. An earth resistivity survey was also carried out using a Geoscan RM85 with mobile probe separation of 0.5m. A further Ground Penetrating Radar scan was carried out on two separate occasions by sled mounted Mala RAMAC scanner over 20m traverses. There was considerable evidence of the structure of the water meadows and comparison with the excavation information suggested that this may have protected the building structures. For example, there were substantial walls at a lower level continuing further south than the original excavation showed. Equally the GPR suggested a range of buildings to the east extending a similar distance to the above. Taking all the results and comparing them with the original excavation (Lyson) suggested that the building was a tripartite corridor villa. The linear features identified probably belonged to two or more phases of building and the change from pagan to Christian iconography in the mosaics as recorded also indicated phased development. A bank in situ may have been positioned to protect the structure from the water meadow system but would need to be removed to ascertain the survival of the floors.