Purbeck

• In the months before King Charles III was crowned on May 6 2023, Westminster Abbey announced that the public would be able to see its fabled Cosmati pavement up close – in their socks.
• The 13th-century mosaic floor had been covered up by thick carpets to protect it for as long as anyone alive could remember.
• The Cosmati pavement, of course, played a stellar role during the coronation ceremony.

Intricate patterns

• You explore the complex, bewildering patterning with your feet as well as with your eyes.
• These stonework patterns are what make the pavement the most fabulous thing.
• This floor, when first laid, would have shimmered and moved, almost like a silk carpet (but not as soft).
• None of the patterns are quite the same: there is surprisingly little uniformity.

Centuries of wear

• There have been various interventions and restorations, most notably by Sir George Gilbert Scott between 1859 and 1871.
• The pavement around the high altar is Scott’s work (and design).
• The central rectangle of the eastern border is also Scott’s work.
• It is good and thoughtful restoration, with considerable effort taken to match the stones.
• As Simeone points out, however, Scott cut the stones too thinly and so they will work loose.