Fragment of sculpture found at the Hyde Abbey Community Archaeology excavations in 1999. The stone is Caen, from Normandy and perhaps from a roof or canopy.

Fragment of sculpture found at the Hyde Abbey Community Archaeology excavations in 1999. The stone is Caen, from Normandy and perhaps from a roof or canopy.

Fragment of sculpted stone

Medieval, Norman period

Discovered by Winchester Museums Archaeology Section in 1999 at the Hyde Abbey Community Excavation, Winchester, Hampshire

The stone was quarried at Caen in Normandy and is a type of fine grained limestone that was imported to England in large quantities after the Conquest of 1066. Being homogenous and easy to carve, the type was often used for elaborate decoration. Found on the site of the north chapel of the Abbey church, this fragment perhaps originally formed part of a vault over a tomb.

Fragment of sculpture found at the Hyde Abbey Community Archaeology excavations in 1999. The stone is Caen, from Normandy and perhaps from a roof or canopy.