Reported in the Northamptonshire Archaelogy. 9, 1974, 114
Woodnewton. (TL 034945). Remains of an early 16th century kiln with wasters were examined while a house was under construction.
S. G. UPEX and J. A. HADMAN
This report has been taken from Northamptonshire Archaeology, 15, 1980, 156-164
A TUDOR POTTERY KILN AT WOOD NEWTON, NORTHANTS.
The discovery of pottery sherds during the erection in 1973 of new houses in a new road called `The Paddock’ in Wood Newton was reported to Dennis Jackson, who visited the site with Robert Moore of the Guildhall Museum, Northampton. The approximate National Grid Reference of the site is TL 035945.
The site was recognised as that of a pottery production centre and subsequently a rescue excavation was arranged by John Hadman, the work being largely carried out by Miss Z Coults, a student at Prince William College, Oundle.
Sherds were to be found all over the site, but in particular were associated with burnt stone from the footings trenches of one house; accordingly, by arrangement with the builder, limited excavation took place within one room of this house.
The excavation, FIG3, revealed the main part of a pottery kiln of rectangular form with a free-standing central pedestal. The structure was built of limestone within a pit aligned north west to south east with the stoke hole to the south east. The kiln was approximately 2m in length and 1m wide; the pedestal was just over 1m in length and 300mm wide and was placed centrally within the kiln. The depth of the kiln was not recorded. After excavation the plan and finds were passed to the author for report.
THE KILN PRODUCTS
The ware produced was medium to fine sand-tempered with a grey core and either oxidised red-brown surfaces or reduced grey-brown surfaces.
In general, there was a marked preference towards the oxidised surface colour, of the sherds recovered 2800gms being red-brown and only 1210gms grey-brown. Glaze present on most vessels was a rich shiny olive-green lead glaze.
The type of vessels produced were bunghole pitchers, cooking pots, lids, bowls, chafing dishes, skillets or handled pans, costrels, tripod-footed vessels and narrow based jars. This range of form suggests a date in the 16th century.
The proportion of sherds of each type of vessel in the assemblage recovered is shown in the following table.
The number of vessels is based entirely on counting individual rims, or other essential features, e.g. skillet-handles, costrel lugs, etc.
Form
Bunghole pitchers
Cooking pots
Cooking pot lids
Bowls
Chafing dishes
Skillets
Costrels
Tripod vessels
Cup
Weight
1410gm
800gm
10gm
450gm
25gm
250gm
20gm
50gm
25gm
Est no of vessels
9
11
1
9
2
4
2
1
1
DESCRIPTION OF THE POTTERY
Bunghole Pitchers, FIG4, 1.
The illustration is a reconstruction from sherds of several vessels. The average height was 340mm, rim diameter 100mm and base diameter 180-200mm. The vessels were wheel-turned and the bases were trimmed with a knife after removal from the wheel. The rims generally had a single groove around the top edge and were pulled out to form simple lips for pouring. All handles were of strap type and undecorated apart from three thumb or finger impressions at the lower connection with the body; they were fixed simply by being pushed onto the body and the junction smoothed over. The bungholes were applied in the same way and were also plain and undecorated. The body of the pitchers was decorated with a single bead around the neck, and normally two incised grooves around the shoulder. One example, however, had five grooves consisting of a band of three with one above and another below. Glaze was applied mainly to the neck and shoulder.
The vessels were stacked on one another in the kiln, rim impressions being clearly visible on bases. One waster consisted of a rim and base fused together.
Cooking pots, FIG4, 2-4.
There were three forms:
a) Plain bag shape, illus 2, with slightly everted rim concave on the inner edge; glaze was applied externally but did not cover the rim.
b) Similar form but with rounder shoulder, illus 3, and slightly narrower neck created by the development of the rim which is more everted and has a pronounced hollow lid seat internally. Glaze again external with a few splashes on top of the rim.
c) Illus 4, upright collar rim with groove on top edge and flattened bead around externally. It was not possible to reconstruct a complete cooking pot form. However, the average rim diameter was 175mm and the base 150mm.
Cooking pot lids, FIG4, 5.
Sherds of a lid, diameter 150mm, which fits the rim of cooking pot type b. Glazed both internally and externally.
Bowls, FIG4, 6 and 7.
The rims are out turned flanges, concave on top and occasionally on the outer edge. There are two sizes, small (no7), diameter 280mm and larger (no8) diameter 350mm. All bowls were glazed internally.
Chafing dishes, FIG4, 8.
Several rim sherds, three knobs and one base fragment represent at least two vessels and are combined to form the illustration. The rim diameter was 225 mm and that of the base 100mm. These vessels were glazed internally and had simple thickened rims against which the knobs, which are small triangular `peaks’ of clay, were pushed and secured. The internal glaze had run towards the rim, showing that the vessel was fired in an inverted position.
Skillets, FIG4, 9.
Four handles are from skillets. They are rectangular in section with a groove along the upper surface. Dimensions of the illustrated ‘example were: length 90mm, width 50mm at junction with body and 30mm at end: the other three were very similar in size, the smallest being 80mm, 40mm and 30mm.
Costrels, FIG4, 10.
Two small pierced lugs are from the shoulders of costrels. No body sherds were found.
Tripod vessels, FIG4, 11.
Two triangular legs are clearly from the base of a vessel of approximately 180mm diameter. They are similar to the knobs of the chafing dishes, but are longer, and bear the impression of a base rather than a rim.
Narrow based cup? FIG4, 12.
Narrow base, 650mm in diameter, which may come from a cup.
CONCLUSIONS
The pottery from this kiln consists of late medieval and early post medieval forms. The absence of medieval jugs and the presence of bung-hole pitchers and the chafing dish suggests a date in the late 15th-16th century.
The fabric is not medieval, nor has it the `mass produced’ character or feel of full 17th century wares.
The date suggested for this group is therefore the first quarter of the 16th century.
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to John Hadman for loaning the material to me and providing the details and plan of the excavation; to Robert Moore of the Guildhall Museum, Northampton, for further site information; to Bob Zeepvat for redrawing the plan to publication standard, to June Burbidge for drawing and mounting the illustrations; and to Mrs D Eley for typing the text.
DENNIS C MYNARD
Thank you to Northamptonshire Archaeological Society for allowing us to reproduce these reports from their 1974 and 1980 journals
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