Reconstruction is assured

The huge mosaic has been included in a new visitor centre, which opened on Tuesday in the former pottery at Prinknash Abbey, Cranham, near Stroud.

Two Wotton brothers, Bob and John Woodward, now in their 70s, spent a decade reconstructing the intricate pavement.

It now takes on even greater significance with the recent announcement that the original pavement, which lies buried in a disused graveyard at Woodchester, is unlikely to be uncovered again for public viewing.

The original pavement is the biggest ever-found in Northern Europe. When it was last uncovered in 1973, more than 140,000 people flocked to Woodchester's old churchyard to see it in just 50 days.

Over the centuries almost 40 per cent of the original floor has been destroyed, and this was painstakingly restored in the reconstruction following intensive research.

The Woodward brothers, who built the Parklands estate in Wotton, reached back in time to retrieve skills that had been lost in antiquity.

This enabled them to fashion, fire and recreate the individual pieces making up the mosaic.

The reconstruction was started in the former Tabernacle Church in Wotton in 1973 and when the work was finished, the Woodwards sold the building to Wotton Auction Rooms.

As well as taking ten years, the labour of love involved 12 tons of clay and 1.6 million tesserae.

The original mosaic adorned a palatial villa that graced the Cotswolds of Roman Britain, and the images tell a classic tale of love and loss arising from the myths of ancient Greece.

For Bob Woodward in particular, the pavement has been a passion and he has spent the past three months building the new viewing facilities at Prinknash Abbey, so visitors can fully appreciate the Orpheus mosaic.

"The Rev John Cull, rector at Woodchester when the original was last uncovered, said we were crazy to attempt to reconstruct the pavement," said Bob.

"It certainly proved to be a gargantuan task and everything that could go wrong, went wrong. But we persevered and it truly is a magnificent piece of work that never ceases to leave me spellbound."

The 2,400sq ft mosaic has received accolades from many scholars and historians. A trip to Prinknash will allow visitors to see the spectacular floor as the Roman governor would have seen it upon completion almost 1,700 years ago.

Bob said: "John and I are delighted the mosaic is now at Prinknash. The completion of the new facilities provides the best presentation we have ever had in the 25 years since we completed the floor."