Monument record 1160/0/12 - Early Medieval Pottery Manufacturing Site

Possible pottery kiln identified during excavations in Horsemarket, Northampton in 1971. The kiln comprised a bowl shaped feature up to 0.5 metres deep and 1 metre in diameter. Its sides had been burnt. Wasters had been found in association with the depression. The pottery fabric contains quartzitic and ironstone inclusions, the clay source probably the nearby Upper Lias or Lower Estuarine. Forms included wheel thrown wheel-thrown and coil-made cooking pots, storage jars, bowls and crucibles. Production took place between 900-975.

{1}Late Saxon pottery kiln revealed; shallow bowl-shaped feature about 1.25m across & filled with burnt material & charcoal; large quantity of pottery mainly of sandy cooking pots; pottery similar to Stamford ware & has been called 'Northampton Ware'; kiln probably operational in C10th;

{2}Site A: late Saxon pottery kiln; shallow unlined bowl-shaped feature; originally semi-circular & about 1.5m deep; filled with burnt material & charcoal; group of cooking pots recovered were wheel turned & well finished in hard sandy fabric similar to Stamford Ware; Site B: further occupation traces noted in same trench about 35m to north; small excavation 3m square revealed five periods of occupation associated with same pottery as kiln group; four floor levels identified with postholes; probably Saxo-Norman C10th-C11th;

{3}Pottery kiln; group of cooking pots recovered were wheel turned & well finished in hard sandy fabric similar to Stamford Ware; Saxo-Norman date;

{4}Late Saxon pot sherds;

{5}Possible kiln with late Saxon pot sherds (sample only);

{6}At corner of St Mary's Street & Horsemarket kiln with associated smooth sandy Saxo-Norman Ware revealed;

{7}Probable kiln revealed with group of cooking pots; wheel-turned & well finished; hard sandy fabric similar to Stamford Ware; small excavation nearby revealed four successive floor levels; Saxo-Norman;

{8}Saxo-Norman kiln with pottery & wasters dated to C11/12th;

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.389 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> Williams J.H., 1974, A Saxo-Norman kiln group from Northampton, 46-56 (unchecked) (Article). SNN331.

<3> Williams J.H., 1973, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (3), 29 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN896.

<4> British Museum Accession Register, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN10055.

<5> 1973, BRITISH MUSEUM MEDIEVAL POTTERY REGISTER, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN482.

<6> Brown, A E (ed), 1972, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies, 42 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58344.

<7> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, 21 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN8956.

<8> Shaw M.; Williams J., 1971-1981, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Record Cards, M99 (checked) (Index). SNN133.

Record last edited

Nov 2 2023 11:53AM