Treasures from the past found under Petworth House marble floor

[gash]

Conservation work to repair marble floor tiles in the Marble Hall of Petworth House has revealed some treasures from the past including half a clay pipe. Other finds include hand-made iron nails, an iron clasp, an oyster shell, glass, a shard of pottery, and part of a corroded lead window frame. The Marble Hall was built by the 6th Duke of Somerset in the 1690s as the impressive formal entrance for his new mansion. Apart from minor work in the 1920s to lay power under part of the floor, the tiles have never been re-laid, so these items were likely to have been buried during the construction of the original floor.

Read more : http://www.midhurstandpetworth.co.uk/news/treasures-from-the-past-found-under-petworth-house-marble-floor-1-7847759