Database of Roman Purbeck limestone: negative

False reports and negative searches

Note that tesselated paving items believed to be non-Purbeck are now listed in the Paving section, marked `cat REJECT'

Dorset
- site Shapwick, Dorset
- grid ST 94 01
- publ Papworth M 1990, no PL
- publ Papworth M 1991, no PL
- publ Papworth M 1994, no PL
- publ Papworth M 1995, no PL
- site Lake Farm, Wimborne
- grid SY 98 90
- publ Field NH 1965-1971
- publ Webster G 1972
- publ Webster G 1973
- desc none of the above mention PL or the piece of polished PM mentioned by Beavis p.194
- name Middlebere Quay
- cat FALSUM
- site S shore of Middlebere Lake, Poole Harbour
- grid SY 9735 8655
- source National Trust SMR
- publ Papworth M 1992
- desc Quay built 1806 for clay shipping via tramway, closed 1905, re-used briefly by military in 1940s. NO connection with stone trade
- name Basan Hill
- site Basan Hill near Puddletown
- grid SY 766 957
- publ Ensom 1989
- desc Found by fieldwalking, 2 rim frags from coarse jars, one with piecrust rim, sherd of BB ware, small frag Roman tile. No PL or PM
Southwestern Britain
- name Somerset Archaeological and Natural History
- site Somerset
- grid ST generally
- publ also called Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society
- desc Have checked vols. 112 (1968) to 146 (2003)
- name Wiltshire Archaeology and Natural History Magazine
- site Wiltshire
- grid SU mostly
- publ WAM (see Abbreviations)
- desc Check vol.25 p.94 for reference to Purbeck formation (cum.index)
- desc Have checked (table of contents, index, etc.):
  vol.27 no.55 (March 1878)
  vol.30-31 (1898-1901)
  vol.32-58 (1901-1963) (after no.211 in vol.58, `numbers' cease)
  vol.59-64 (1964-1969) (from here on, each volume was published as 1 fasc.)
  vol.65-69 Part B, Archaeology and Local History (1970-1974)
  vol.70/71, 72/73, 74/75 Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine (1975-1980)
  (after this WAM is no longer published in two parts) vol.76-79 (1981-1984), (no vol. for 1985), vol.80-96 (1986-2003)
- desc vol.30 no.91 (June 1899) see Passmore 1899, possible roofing at Okus, Swindon
- desc vol.33 see Box Villa roofing, Brakspear 1904
- desc vol.38 p.135 Wiltshire Books: notice of Ord and Reader 1911?, `Excursion to Dinton, Chilmark and Vale of Wardour'
- desc vol.38 p.153-378 see Goddard 1914, `List of prehistoric, Roman and pagan Saxon antiquities in Wilts'
- desc vol.48 no.171 see Atworth villa, Mellor and Goodchild 1940
- desc vol.49 contains a notice of Arkell 1941
- desc vol.52 no.188 see Arkell 1948
- desc vol.55 no.199 p.176-8 (Dec 1953) see Downton villa
- desc vol.55 no.201 p.333-340 (Dec 1954) see Colerne villa
- comment and other positive reports
- site Uley
- grid ST 78 99
- publ Woodward A, Leach P 1993, The Uley Shrines, English Heritage with British Museum Books
- comment No mention of PL
- site Gloucester
- grid SO 84 18
- publ Hurst H 1972, Excavations at Gloucester 1968-1971, first interim report, Antiq J 52 24-69
- publ O'Neil HE 1962, Friars Orchard, Technical College, Gloucester, 1961,TBGAS 81 10-40 no PL
- publ O'Neil HE 1964, Excavations at the Bon Marché site, Gloucester, 1958-9,TBGAS 82 25-65 no PL
- publ O'Neil HE 1965, Excavations in the King's School Gardens, Gloucester, 1964,TBGAS 84 15-29 no PL
- publ Cra'ster MD 1961, Roman remains from the Bon Marché, 1955, TBGAS 80 50-58
- publ Cra'ster MD 1961, St Michael's, Gloucester, 1956, TBGAS 80 59-74
- desc no PL mentioned
- name Frocester RB settlement
- site Frocester, Glos.
- grid SO 78 02
- source Price E 2000 vol.2 p.185ff
- desc Stone objects: no Purbeck or Portland stone
- site Hucclecote
- grid SO 87 17
- publ Clifford EM 1961, The Hucclecote Roman villa, TBGAS 80 42-49
- desc Excav to the side of the known villa in advance of building. No PL mentioned
- site Cirencester
- grid SP 02 01
- publ Wacher JS 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, Cirencester (year), [1st to 4th interim reports], Antiq J 41-43
- publ McWhirr A 1986, Cirencester Excavations III, Cirencester Excavation Committee
- comment No mention of PL
- site Ilchester
- grid ST 52 22
- publ Leach P, Ilchester vols. 1 and 2
- comment no PL
- site Catsgore
- grid SO ?
- publ Leech R, Excavations at Catsgore 1970-1973, Bristol: Western Archaeological Trust
- comment no PL
Southeastern Britain
- site Hengistbury Head
- grid SZ 18 90
- publ Bushe-Fox JP 1915
- desc `No evidence of Roman occupation'
- comment but see Cunliffe!
- site Hants
- grid SU mostly
- source Scott, E.
- desc none identified as Purbeck
- comment I think this means: no Purbeck marble wallcasing has been identified in Hants
- site Fishbourne, Sussex
- grid SU 84 05
- publ Cunliffe BW 1964, Excavations at Fishbourne 1963, 3rd interim report, Antiq J 44 1-8
- comment No mention of PL
- site Chichester
- grid SU 86 04
- publ Down A 1971-81, Chichester Excavations 1,2,3,5
- desc Mortars means pottery here: no new PL
- site London
- grid TQ 33 81
- publ RIB 12
- desc Classicianus monument
- subst RIB: Oolite, not PM
- subst Bidwell 1980, Roman Exeter and Williams 1971b: Bath oolite
- site Canterbury
- grid TR 15 57
- publ 1981, interim report on 1981 excav, Arch Cantiana 97 280
- desc no PL mentioned
- site Richborough, Kent
- grid TR 32 60
- publ Bushe-Fox JP 1926, 1928, 1932, 1949, [1st to 4th reports] on the excavation of the Roman fort at Richnborough, Kent, Rep. Res. Comm. Soc. Antiq. Lond.
- comment No mention of PL
- name Alresford villa, Essex
- site Alresford, Essex
- grid TM 061 199
- publ Laver H, Trans Essex Arch Soc New Series 3 136-139
- desc Laver: no PL mentioned
- comment see Allen, Fulford and Todd 2007 findspot no.35
- name Noah's Ark, Brightlingsea
- site Brightlingsea, Essex (Noah's Ark)
- grid TM 059 187
- publ Trans Essex Arch Soc New Series 10 88
- desc no PL mentioned
- comment see Allen, Fulford and Todd 2007 findspot no.35
English Midlands
- site Wroxeter
- grid SJ 57 08
- publ Atkinson D 1942
- desc Bushe-Fox: first report: no PL found; later two reports scanned superficially, no PL noted; none of the reports have a specialist report on stone
- desc Atkinson: Specialist stone report, no PL
- site Leicester, Jewry Wall
- grid SK 58 04
- publ Kenyon K 1954 (or 1948)
- desc No PL
- desc see also Roman mortar from Sketchley, Leics which is now known not to be PL
- site Shakenoak, Oxfordshire
- grid SP 37 13
- publ Brodribb, Hands and Walker 1971a
- publ Brodribb, Hands and Walker 1971b
- desc Parts 3, 4 and 5 mention no PL or PM, unlike parts 1 and 2 cited here.
Wales
- site Ely, Glam.
- grid ST 14 76
- source Scott GL2
- desc Opus sectile of Italian and Peloponnesian marble (one piece of each), no Purbeck
- site Caerleon
- grid ST 32 90
- publ Wheeler REM and TV 1928
- publ Collingwood RG, Taylor MV 1932, `Roman Britain in 1931', JRS 22 198-229
- desc Wheeler: No PM inscriptions, no PL remarked on
- desc RB in 1931: Nash-Williams digging of Caerleon, Prysg Field; no PL material mentioned
- comment There is corroboration for the PM mortar from Caerleon
- site Caerwent
- grid ST 46 90
- publ Ashby T and others 1901-1913, Excavations at Caerwent 1899-1912, Archaeologia 57-62, 64 many articles, including Martin and Ashby 1901, Ashby, Hudd and Martin 1902
- publ Nash-Williams VE 1930, Excavations at Caerwent 1923-5, Archaeologia 80 229-228
- publ ?Dunning GC? 1948, JRS 38 81
- publ ?Dunning GC? 1949, JRS 39 96
- publ Morgan O 1956, Excavations within the walls of Caerwent 1855, Archaeologia 36 418-437. "In the early volumes of Archaeologia there are several notices respecting Caerwent"
- desc No PL mentioned
- comment Try to get also Seyer 1848 on Caerwent
- site Caerwent
- grid ST 46 90
- publ Archaeol Cambrensis 1983-2000, 132 onward
- desc No Caerwent excavation found
Northern Britain
- site Hadrian's Wall and N. England
- grid NY etc.
- publ Arch. Aeliana series 4 17-19 (1940-1941), 21-23 (1943-1944), 50 (1972), series 5 1 (1973)
- desc no PL
- site Corbridge, 1907-1912
- grid NY 99 65
- publ Forster RH ed., (reports of excavations), Arch Aeliana 3rd series 4 etc.
- publ Woolley L, (report of excav), Arch Ael 3rd ser 3
- desc Many stone objects, incl. statuary. Stone reported without mention of substance
- subst Not stated
- site Aldborough, Yorks
- grid SE 40 67
- publ Leadman ADH 1893, A survey of Isurium, Yorks Arch J 12 413-428
- publ Myres JNL et al., The defences of Isurium Brigantum, Yorks Arch J 40 1-77
- publ Bishop MC 1996, Finds from Roman Aldborough (Yorks), Oxbow Monog 65
- publ Snape et al. 2002
- publ Jones MU 1971
- desc No PL mentioned
- site Wilderspool, Warrington
- grid SJ 60 88
- publ Hinchcliffe J, Williams JH, Williams F 1992, Roman Warrington: excavations at Wilderspool 1996-9 and 1976, Brigantia Monogr. no.2, Dept. of Archaeol. U. Manchester
- comment No mention of PL
Britain generally
- name Roman Britain in (year), in JRS
- site various
- publ RB in (year), JRS (vol)
- desc No `RB in (year)' in JRS 1-3 (1911-13)
- desc No PL in `RB in 1931', JRS 22 (1932)
- desc No PL in `RB in (1936-40)' in JRS 27-31 (1937-41)
- desc No PL in `RB in (1944-49)' in JRS 35-40 (1945-50)
- desc `RB in (1950-1968)', JRS 41-59, have also been searched
- name Roman Britain in (year), in Britannia
- site various
- publ Britannia, Roman Britain in (year)
- comment no PL mentioned in 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
- comment Scanned `RB in 1999' to `2004'
- comment No mention of PL in `RB in 2001, 2001, 2004'
- comment Used index of `RB in 2005', found one instance of PL
- comment Used index of `RB in 2006', no mention of PL
- name Stones that may be mistaken for Purbeck
- site various
- subst SussexMarble
- subst AlwaltonMarble
- subst Greensand Bone Bed
- name Proceedings of the Geologists' Association
- site various
- comment Have scanned for references to Purbeck Limestone volumes 102(1); (102(2--4), 103 missing from DCM 2008 June;) 104--107; (108(1) missing from DCM;) 108(2--4), 109(1); (109(2--3) missing;) 109(4), 110--114.