Volume 4: South-East England

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Current Display: Winchester (Old Minster) 08, Hampshire Forward button Back button
Overview
Present Location
Winchester City Museum, Historic Resources Centre, Hyde House, Winchester, accessions no. 2943 WS 1
Evidence for Discovery
Found in archaeological excavation north of Winchester cathedral in 1964 in rubble derived from demolition of high altar area of Old Minster as reconstructed in c. 993-4, i.e., raised above crypt created over original square east end of Old Minster (c. 648), itself replaced by an apse in eighth century; Final Phase 59 (Provisional Phase 819), c. 1094
Church Dedication
Old Minster
Present Condition
One bed face, F (bottom), survives; approximately 55 per cent of the circumference is preserved (Ill. 525). The mouldings are clear, but chipped and bruised, and a few traces of a pale pink rendering
Description

The moulding on the drum consists of two slightly hollowed bands, c. 5 cm wide, separated by a flat strip, 1.5 cm wide, with a similar strip at the top and bottom of the stone. The tooling on the bed face, F, which is concave, is well finished and smooth except over a crystalline fault in the stone.

Discussion
A strip of a second bed face may also exist on the more damaged 'upper' face, in which case the height of 16.5 cm becomes significant, being half a Carolingian foot of 0.333 m. The drum probably derives from the reconstruction of Old Minster in c. 993–4, but it could be an earlier column incorporated in the new work.
Date
Late tenth century?
References
Biddle and Kjølbye-Biddle forthcoming a, fig. 141, no. 5
M.B.; B.K.-B.
Endnotes

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