Tyntesfield today. Waiting in the conservatory on the west side of the mansion before the start of the dig. The palm tree marks the site of the central dome of the building
Doug and Richard were there when I arrived and then Sue. Paul gave an introduction to the site and said the reason the conservatory was demolished was because the dome collapsed after heavy snow in March 1916.
Paul gives an introduction to the history of the conservatory.The items on the table were disturbed when scaffolding was erected to re-roof the house a few years ago.
We marked out a line to sample the west end of the conservatory and then raked off layer 1 the gravel surface. Below this was an ash and sand soil and beneath than building rubble.
The west wall found beneath the turf verge and dwarf walls against the south wall. Only bits of the colourful tile floor here though.
From the chunks of mortar floor with tile impressions and the bits of polychrome floor tile it looks as throught the floor was broken up before burial back in 1917. The soil is deeper closer to the house we will see what we discover tomorrow.
Archaeology National Trust SW 