Monument record 1187/4/1 - C2nd/C3rd Pottery Kiln

Please read our .

Summary

Archaeological investigation undertaken during the construction of the FINA pipeline identified a well-preserved Roman pottery kiln dating to the 2nd or early 3rd century AD. Ditches and pits of Roman date were also found.

Map

Type and Period (3)

Full Description

{1} Fieldwalking along the Fina Pipeline. Scatter of Romano-British pottery found in Field 1 (Fineshade). No other finds apart from slag. Distributed over 150m at southern end of field.
Excavation along pipeline route. Three test pits were dug. TP5 contained a deposit of dark soil 0.07m thick. TP6 revealed a pit containing fired clay and slag. No evidence of burning in-situ. TP7 revealed a ditch which was overlain by an area of limestone.

{2} Roman features exposed along the FINA pipeline route included a pottery kiln.

{3} A well preserved C2nd or C3rd AD updraught pottery kiln was revealed within the corridor. Although the pipeline trench had only clipped the rear of the kiln and damage to the structure was minimal, the laying of an additional drain to the east of the pipe trench necessitated the partial excavation of the structure.
The kiln was situated 400m NNW of a major Roman iron-working complex and settlement and other ditches and pits of Roman date were also revealed within the pipeline corridor.
The kiln had been dug as a circular chamber, roughly 0.9m in diameter and survived to a depth of 0.85m. This had been lined with clay. The surviving clay floor rested on a tongue pedestal, joined to the kiln wall on the western end, and also on intermittant corbels projecting radially into the kiln from the outer wall. Lying between these corbels were 11 surviving vent holes to allow the hot gases to enter the oven. There may originally have been 15 vents, the majority to the rear of the structure, normally the coldest area of the kiln.
The flue running to the east had originally been crudely lined with stone and led into the stoking pit which ran beyond the limits of the excavation. The kiln had undergone several periods of remodelling. The original plan had been flattened and the lining to the south side of the flue had been altered.
Roman pottery kilns with solid clay floors are rare in Northamptonshire and the lower Nene valley. The structure of the kiln, with a tongue pedestal, solid clay floor and corbels tends to place it on morphological grounds with the Oxfordshire pottery industry to the south, but the lack of comparison with similarly dated kilns in the region makes meaningful association impossible.
The whole group of pottery from the kiln had been whell-thrown, mostly made very hurriedly or by a semi-skilled potter. It is difficult to understand why pottery so badly prepared should ever be fired. This is not just confined to Fineshade, as poor quality pottery was also found at kilns excavated in Wakerley. This suggests that there were markets for cheap, inferior pottery.
A tentative date for the kiln is considered to be late Antonine to Severan.
Notes contain more detail on the pottery types associated with the kiln and the method of manafacture.

Description from record 1187/0/10:
{1} Ditches and pits of Roman date were also revealed in the pipeline corridor, but whether any or all of these features were contemporary with the kiln is uncertain.


<1> Jackson D.A., 1990, Fina Pipeline Project 1990: Archive Report (Report). SNN1567.

<2> Musgrave E.C.; Tingle M. (editors), 1991, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1990, p.108 Fineshade (checked) (Article). SNN100325.

<3> Jackson D.; Williams A., 1991, The Fina Pipeline Project, And A Roman Pottery Kiln at Fineshade, p.85-92 (checked) (Article). SNN74097.

Sources/Archives (3)

  • <1> Report: Jackson D.A.. 1990. Fina Pipeline Project 1990: Archive Report.
  • <2> Article: Musgrave E.C.; Tingle M. (editors). 1991. Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1990. Northamptonshire Archaeology. 23. Northants Archaeology Soc. p.108 Fineshade (checked).
  • <3> Article: Jackson D.; Williams A.. 1991. The Fina Pipeline Project, And A Roman Pottery Kiln at Fineshade. Northamptonshire Archaeology. 23. Northants Archaeology Soc. p.85-92 (checked).

Finds (1)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Location

Grid reference SP 4968e 2976e (point) Approximate
Civil Parish DUDDINGTON-WITH-FINESHADE, North Northamptonshire (formerly East Northants District)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Other Statuses/References

  • None recorded

Record last edited

Oct 3 2023 9:20AM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any questions or more information about this record? Please feel free to comment below with your name and email address. All comments are submitted to the website maintainers for moderation, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible. Comments, questions and answers that may be helpful to other users will be retained and displayed along with the name you supply. The email address you supply will never be displayed or shared.