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Making a Mosaic~ relaying part of Lopens Past
Newsletter No 3. June 2003 published by the Lopen History Group (LHG)
Rome was not built in a day, but the project to reconstruct a panel of the Lopen Roman Mosaic, build an Internet Web Site and produce a film will have been completed in just about a year. 18th July 2003 is the launch date for the film. The first showing of it will be to an invited audience in All Saints Church in Lopen, as sadly there is not unlimited space. However, I will be showing it in the Sunday School next to the Church at 10, 11, 12 and 2, 3 and 4 oclock on Saturday 19th July. And of course if you want your own copy the details of how to get either the video or, later on, a DVD will be available.
The reconstructed panel is now in the church. It is set in the floor of the north Transept. The protective carpet was turned back for the flower festival for the weekend of 21st 22nd June so it has had a little exposure.
All of what has been happening since the last newsletter has been filmed or can be seen on the web site. But to recap........
September 13th last year was the culmination of the first phase. During the Jig-saw weekend 13/14 July 2002 all of the available tesserae were sorted and placed to fill as closely as possible a full size drawing of the cantharus which we had selected for reconstruction. The panel had been in my print workshop before being transferred to Sculpture Conservator Nicholas Durnans workshop at Lopens old Flax Mill. Nick researched ways of working and applied them to the materials that we had. He worked on a small test panel, drawing out the design with red ochre and then covering up the drawing with fresh mortar before pressing the individual pieces of stone into it. He also explored ways that a polish might have been given to the finished surface. In the end it was left just as the Roman feet had left it, with a smoothness that could not be manufactured.
He recruited the help of Gina Wright to do the work with him, and together they finished it just the day before the public celebration of it at the start of Somerset Arts Week. Transferring the completed panel into the Sunday School Room was not easy. It was estimated to weigh 320-350 lbs as it needed to be set on a blue lias stone bed. We did not realise that this was wider than the door width until ......... Those who saw it on display will realise that in the end we managed, but only thanks to the muscle power of four very loyal volunteers.
We can only guess at the numbers who saw it between 7th and 15th September 2002, but it was probably in excess of 500. They also had the added attraction of a display of photographs taken during the excavation, and an explanation of the geological origins of the tesserae.
Then it was taken back into my workshop where it over wintered; rest for the panel but not for the project team. That was the time when the material for the web site had to be collected; reports, photographs, diagrams etc., A very complicated process but Iconography of Crewkerne have been very long suffering. Only with the help of Alan Graham (Archaeologist), Bob Croft (Somerset County Council Archaeologist) we made sense of it all. Then Steve Cosh, a leading expert on Romano-British Mosaics, worked on the accuracy of the text, in particular with regard to the description of the mosaic. It is Steve and David Neal who are about to publish the second volume of a book in which they have described and painted all of the mosaics found in Britain. The publication has been delayed for volume II which contains the Lopen and the Dinnington Mosaics so sadly we will not have it on show on 18th July. Peter Leach, Author of Roman Somerset, Archaeological Consultant and Honorary Research Fellow, Birmingham University, also made a invaluable contribution with his comments on its content.
Sponsored Tesserae. Over 280 tesserae have been sponsored to add to the funds we had to raise to meet the conditions of the grant. In addition all sponsors will have their name recorded to keep in the church with the cantharus. Numbers will be drawn on 18th July and donated prizes given to the fortunate few.
However the records relating to numbers 201-250 are missing. Please let me know if your numbers are within that range.
The Web Site went live in April 2003. www.lopenmosaic.co.uk I have had about 50 complimentary communications relating to it, in spite of there being a very low key launch of it.
Throughout this time Justin Owen was beavering away on the Film. He has interviewed just about everyone who had a direct involvement with the dig or the project, and some others as well. He has hours of footage from which he is assembling the final print. This will be revealed to all on 18/19th July.
This is not the only film that has been made relating to our Roman past. Channel 4 broadcast the TWO4 produced series commissioned by Carlton West Country entitled Crafted. The film company spent an extended afternoon filming us. What was shown in our programme was Candice Bahouth, a mosaic and textile artist based in Pilton, teaching a small group the ways of making contemporary mosaics. Our bit gave the background to the art of mosaics in a very skilfully edited section. And of course there was the Time Team programme on Dinnington. Shown in January of this year it demonstrated clearly how rich is the legacy of the Roman occupation of this area, and the importance of not losing the knowledge or evidence of what there was then, before it and since. It did not mention one of the most important aspects of that site. Thanks to the tremendous effort of the Holloway family of Dinnington it has been accepted into Countryside Stewardship, which affords protection from destructive use being made of the site for 10 years.
At Easter, Crewkerne Heritage Centre opened its excellent display relating to both the Lopen and the Dinnington excavations. Finds on the Fosse will continue throughout the summer. It is well worth a visit.
The aim of the project was to produce a tangible memory of the discovery of the Roman Mosaic in Lopen in 2001; to have it where the public can see it, and to share the knowledge of the finds during the excavation with all who might want to know, now and in the future. So, from 19th July you can see the reconstructed cantharus mosaic under your feet as it would have been laid originally 1600 years ago.
Come to see the film during one of its showings on the 19th July, and perhaps sample some tasty Roman food or drink. For so many of you who have helped to make this project a success, you should congratulate yourselves, for what you have produced is clear to see. The lucky tesserae numbers will be announced.
There are so many people who have made this project successful and the following list I am sure does not include everyone.
The Local Heritage Initiative grant provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund partnership administered by the Countryside Agency with additional funding from Nationwide Building Society.
Westland Helicopters, Ltd., Yeovil T.R.G Lawrence & Son, Estate Agents, Crewkerne. Chalmers & Co, Chartered Accountants, Crewkerne. Denners of Yeovil.
David Miles, Chief Archaeologist, English Heritage Dr David Neal, Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics Steven Cosh, Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics Paul Bryan and Steven Tovey, Photogrammetry Unit of English Heritage, York Robert Croft, Archaeologist, Somerset County Council, Alan Graham, Archaeologist, Terrain Archaeology Peter Bellamy, Terrain Archaeology Gina Wright, Assistant Mosaic Maker James Crowden, Author and Poet Peter Ellis, Mortar Specialist Jo Mills, Archaeologist Arnold and Ruth Senior Mrs J Bond Guy and Louise Anderson Provender, South Petherton The Trading Post, Lopen Head
Reverend John King and the Parochial Church Council of Lopen
The Project Team Angela Naunton Davies, Project Leader(Voluntary) Nicholas Durnan, Sculpture and Stone Conservator Pauline Rook, Photographer John Milner, Joiner. Justin Owen, Film Maker
And all the people who have sponsored tesserae and been so generous with their time and effort.
And finally special thanks go to John and Mary Osborne and Nigel Osborne without whom none of this would have been discovered.
Please contact me if you would like a copy of the film, (cost on request after 18th July,) or I can arrange to show it to small groups. In the mean time try the website www.lopenmosaic.co.uk.
Angela Naunton Davies 01460 240921 angela@nauntondavies.freeserve.co.uk
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