Monument record BCB 026 - Ballingdon Grove

Please read our .

Summary

Mosaic floor discovered whilst work was being carried out at Ballingon Grove in 1962/3.

Location

Grid reference TL 8687 4038 (point)
Map sheet TL84SE
Civil Parish SUDBURY, BABERGH, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

Mosaic floor discovered whilst work was being carried out at Ballingdon Grove in 1962/3.
Whilst putting in the foundations for two concrete buildings to the north of the House, some 3/4 feet down, workers came across a floor made up of blue and white tesserae.
Workers exposed about 3ft by 2ft of the floor, before the foreman told them to quickly cover it over with earth, presumably anxious that if it was reported it would delay further work.
The section they uncovered now lies under the SE corner of the building closest to the House (furthest from the road)[location shifted slightly to east on HBSMR mapping after email and map exchange, Sept 2013, S1].
One of the workers, Mr Eustace Hills, is reasonably confident that it was a Roman floor.
A Roman brooch has been discovered in the vicinity. It is a brooch type that is frequently associated with Roman temples - this could suggest that the mosaic floor marks a temple site rather than a villa (S1).
Second source (S2) mentions her grandfather finding "remains of an old Roman bath there [Ballingdon Grove] but it was all covered when the building began" which probably relates to the same discovery.

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <S1> Bibliographic reference: Email. 24/02/2010 & Sept 2013 - between David Burnett and Colin Pendleton.
  • <S2> Bibliographic reference: Email. 21/09/2013 - Jeanette Kinnard to David Burnett (Sudbury Museum Trust) to C Pendleton (SCCAS).

Finds (1)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

May 30 2019 1:01PM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.