Winchester City Museum, Historic Resources Centre, Hyde House, Winchester, accessions no. 2943 WS 2

Found in archaeological excavation north of Winchester cathedral in 1964 in masons' debris from Norman re- cutting of robbed stones in area above Old Minster nave, south of baptistery; Final Phase 70 (Provisional Phase 993), mid to late twelfth-century

Old Minster

One bed face (F, bottom?) and one dressed face survive; the carved surface is somewhat battered.

A: This is the lower part of a frieze much like Winchester (Old Minster) no. 47, where parts of three of the scrolled elements have survived. On the present carving two decorative bands survive, the upper with a pattern of adjoining ovals formed of flat ribbons, 1.4 cm wide, the lower element consisting of two plain borders, 3 cm wide, framing a dentil frieze. The dentils are formed by deep rectangular slots, 0.6 cm wide, with angled bottoms.

F: On the bed face, 2 cm behind and parallel to the carved face, there is a triangular groove, 0.5 cm deep, similar to that on Winchester (Old Minster) no. 47.

The groove on face F could be a construction line indicating that the stone was placed in the wall, projecting about 2 cm from the face. The piece could have formed an elaborate string-course. It is like no. 37, which was found in rubble above the north-west wing of Old Minster, west of, and near to the baptistery. WS 445, found near-by in an equivalent rubble, is a more damaged fragment of a similar pattern (not further discussed). Winchester (Old Minster) nos. 36–40, 42, and 47 are also of this type. See Winchester (Old Minster) no. 47.

Seventh century or later

Biddle and Kjølbye-Biddle forthcoming a, fig. 146, no. 44