Romano-British Pottery Kiln Research Articles

Romano-British Pottery Kilns at Caldicot, Gwent

Rescue excavation at Caldicot, Gwent (ST 4787) revealed at least six kilns of late third to early fourth century A.D. date, along with evidence for earlier (third century) production. Jars form the most important class of vessel produced and forms reminiscent of BB1 were particularly significant. The kiln products fit within the chronologically much broader reduced ware tradition of south-east Wales.

Types of Late Belgic and Early Romano-British Pottery Kilns in the Nene Valley

Almost 16 years have elapsed since the publication, in 1959, of Dr. Philip Corder's paper on the structure of Romano-British pottery kilns. During this time much new evidence has come to light, especially in the upper Nene Valley, and the series of experimental firings carried out at Wattisfield, Boston, Leeds, Barton-on-Humbers and Chichester has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the techniques employed. The present paper is primarily concerned with pottery kilns of the pre-Flavian period in the Nene Valley and seeks to bring together, under one heading, the new and largely unpublished material from this region.

The Romano-British Pottery Kilns near Wilderspool

(1973). The Romano-British Pottery Kilns near Wilderspool. Archaeological Journal: Vol. 130, No. 1, pp. 77-103.

Romano-British Pottery Kilns near Northampton

SummaryIntensive recent field-work in the Upper Nene valley has located many new kiln sites. Twenty, in an area about eight miles by six, are surveyed in this paper, and their products studied and illustrated; distribution of the products is shown, provisionally, to be purely local. A group of kilns excavated in 1962 at Ecton is reported on in full. Four updraught kilns of varying forms fired the work of at least two potters in the second and third centuries A.D. ; this included flagons and mortaria. The industry locally dates from the mid first century A.D. and flourished into the second; a recession in the third century was apparently followed by complete breakdown in the fourth. This perhaps reflects competition from potteries of the Lower Nene around Castor, as occupation of domestic sites continued unabated.

A Romano-British pottery kiln at Rookery Lane, Lincoln

In November 1947 two schoolboys, David Ashforth and Leslie Leek of Westwick Gardens, digging about on some spare land near the Pike Drain on the west side of Rookery Lane (fig. I), found a quantity of ash and charcoal and a small Anglo-Saxon vessel which they brought into the Lincoln Museum. The area was subsequently excavated by the Lincoln Archaeological Research Committee following the ready permission by the owner of the land, Mr. A. Priestley.

A Romano-British pottery kiln at North Hykeham, Lincolnshire: with an Appendix on the typology, dating and distribution of ‘Rustic’ ware in Great Britain

The discovery of the kiln described in the first part of this report is a pleasing instance of the value of publicity in the field of archaeology. One feature of the post-war campaign waged by the Council for British Archaeology in order to induce the general public to report archaeological discoveries was the issue to sand and gravel companies throughout the country of the illustrated pamphlet entitled Sand and Gravel in History. In due course a copy reached the Apex Sand and Gravel Limited, which has its pits by the Foss Way at North Hykeham, southwest of Lincoln. In October 1951 an employee, Mr. E. Clifton, noticed in the bank of one of the water-filled workings a pit-like structure with a scatter of pot-sherds and fragments of clay bars, some of which he collected and handed to the Manager, Mr. W. C. Acott. The latter compared the sherds with the illustrations in his copy of the pamphlet, deduced that they were Romano-British, and reported the discovery to Mr. F. T. Baker, F.S.A., at the City and County Museum, Lincoln, who, from the description given and an examination of a sample of the pottery, was quick to realize the possibility of yet another kiln in the Lincoln area.

The Structure of Romano-British Pottery Kilns

(1957). The Structure of Romano-British Pottery Kilns. Archaeological Journal: Vol. 114, No. 1, pp. 10-27.

A Romano-British Pottery Kiln at Weston Favell, near Northampton

The village of Weston Favell is situated on high land to the north of the river Nene, some 2½ miles to the north-east of the centre of Northampton. On the north side of the Wellingborough Road at this point the Northampton Education Committee are erecting the Cherry Orchard School. In April 1953, during the filling in of a disused quarry preparatory to building, one of the writers noticed sherds of Roman pottery in a disturbed patch in the quarry face (Nat. Grid 5237.2819). Further examination disclosed two large burnt stones protruding from it, which proved on excavation to be the cheeks of the stokehole flue of a small pottery kiln.The quarry was some 16 to 18 ft. deep, and had been used to get the local limestone. The field to the south of it shows disturbance of the surface over a considerable area. Overlying the stone hereabouts is an extensive layer of grey clay, which may well have served as the raw material of the potters. It contains pockets of whitish sand similar to that which gives the clay of the local ware its characteristic texture.

The Roman Pottery at Norton, East Yorkshire. Roman Malton and District Report No. 7. By Raymond H. Hayes and SirEdward Whitley, K.C.B., edited by Philip Corder, M.A. 10 × 6¼. Pp. 42. Leeds: Roman Antiquities Committee of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1950. 7s. - A Romano-British Pottery Kiln on the Lincoln Racecourse. By Philip Corder, M.A. 8½ × 5½. Pp.

The Roman Pottery at Norton, East Yorkshire. Roman Malton and District Report No. 7. By Raymond H. Hayes and SirEdward Whitley, K.C.B., edited by Philip Corder, M.A. 10 × 6¼. Pp. 42. Leeds: Roman Antiquities Committee of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, 1950. 7<i>s</i>. - A Romano-British Pottery Kiln on the Lincoln Racecourse. By Philip Corder, M.A. 8½ × 5½. Pp.

A Romano-British Pottery Kiln at Swanpool, Near Lincoln

The kiln was first brought to the notice of the Archaeological Research Committee by Mr. F. W. Brookes, who had observed wasters and kiln debris in the rabbit scrapes. The excavation was included in the Committee's first year's programme as it was felt that the pottery would provide a useful dating guide for the upper levels of the Roman city and at the same time give excellent training to the small but enthusiastic band of volunteers at that time being brought together.

A Pair of Fourth-century Romano-British Pottery Kilns near Crambeck

Ten years ago two pairs of Romano-British kilns for the manufacture of pottery were discovered by some boys from Bootham School, York, on the slope of the hill from Whitwell to the Crambeck, about thirteen miles north-east of York and five miles from the fortress of Malton. These were excavated by boys from Bootham School under the writer's supervision, and details of their structure and of the pottery made in them have been published. Earlier finds of kilns in the same neighbourhood were then recorded, and these, together with the amount of pottery recovered, made it clear that pottery manufacture had been very extensive in the district. Since that report was published, the importance of Crambeck wares and their wide distribution in the northern military area in the fourth century have been widely recognized. The discovery of another pair of kilns in 1936, which throw more light on kiln-structure than did those of the earlier find, provides, in the light of subsequent investigations, an opportunity for a fuller discussion of the date of their activity than was at that time possible.

Romano-British Pottery Kiln from Berkshire

Romano-British Pottery Kiln from Berkshire