Monument record 2806/0/23 - Late 15th century pottery and tile kiln and associated workshop

Medieval pottery kiln identified during excavations at Leacroft, Glapthorn. The kiln was in production during the 15th century with production documented in 1483. It produced a range of vessels and ridge tiles. The kiln had also been used for the burning of lime in between pottery firing. A nearby Medieval building had been reused as a pottery workshop.

{1} The earliest feature was a quarry, undated but certainly earlier than the 13th century. The next phase of activity was a large structure that was represented by several walls with deep foundations built into the infill of the quarry in the 13th or 14th centuries. [not clear in the report whether this is the same building as the malting kiln also constructed in this period]. Other features included an oven and hearth.
The horse-shoe shaped kiln was a substantial structure with opposing flues and 1m thick limestone walls bonded with clay. The shallow, oval stoke pit was 6m long. The opposing stoke pit was only 0.6m long and built the curved back wall. Evidence from the south-west stoke pit suggests that it was used for burning lime at some stage.

The workshop lay to the south of the kiln and had been deliberately demolished. Large wasters, broken but complete, had been thrown inside the building.

<1> JOHNSTON, 1987, UNPUBLISHED REPORT, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN57521.

<2> 1996, Medieval Archaeology (40), p. 275 (Journal). SNN48029.

Record last edited

Mar 27 2023 11:50AM