Monument record 1223/2/6 - Medieval pottery kilns, Woods Lane

Archaeological evaluation and subsequent excavation of a late 16th-century, stone-built kiln. Its products included wide-mouthed pancheons and squat handled jugs in a red ware with a yellow-brown glaze. The partial remains of a further possible kiln were also identified immediately to the north. This was stratigraphically earlier.

{1}Kiln found during trial excavation. Showed evidence of several phases of rebuilding (with re-surfacing of the original lining of the wall). The kiln was approx 3 metres wide by 3.6m long and was aligned ENE-WSW. The kiln wall was in places 0.45m thick. The inner face of the kiln was defined by white and red burn zones (this results from the exposure of the kiln lining to different temperatures), limestone fragments were contained within the kiln lining. The central area of the kiln was characterised by red burnt material. The northern part of kiln was less easily defined than the south-eastern section.Range of late medieval and post medieval pottery found on the site, three different fabrics based on different firing conditions. The material recovered relate to long period of pottery production in the village and can not be used to date the kiln.

Kiln debris was found in trenches 1 and 5 of trial excavation. May possibly represent 2nd kiln. Curvilinear area of brown clay with lumps of clay-daub kiln lining, red burnt fragments, limestone fragments, charcoal and kiln debris. Concentration of pottery sherds in this area also points to possiblity of a further kiln at this location.

Also identified was a linear feature 5.4m long by 0.4m wide aligned WNW-ESE then turns 100 degrees and runs for 1.7m NNW-SSE. Fill consisted of a dark grey brown silt flecked with charcoal. The feature may be a gully or possibly a construction trench

{2} Subsequent excavation located a well preserved pottery kiln which produced, from a primary fill, a limited range of late medieval early post-medieval type of wares, primarily wide-mouthed pancheons and small, squat, handled-jugs in a red ware with bibs of thin yellow brown glaze. With the exception of stabbed handles all vessels were virtually without decoration. The kiln oven was stone-built, roughly 3.3m in diameter, with a central pedastal, and significantly, a low set flue behind a thin clay wall at the rear, foreshadowing the development of down-draught kilns. As usual, there had been a large number of firings from the single stokehole. Geomagnetic dating of 19 samples provided exceptionally well-grouped dates for the last firing of 1550-1570, unexpectedly some 70 years later than might have determined by a simple pottery typology.

After completion of the excavation, the following watching brief during the the digging of foundations revealed an adjacent kiln fired from a stokehole in approximately the same position. Stratigraphically this was slightly earlier, and probably partly provides the explanation for the unusual coursed stone façade wall to the first kiln, which had clearly been constructed within the earlier stokehole pit. As the second kiln was not immediately threatened it was only cleaned back to the top of the stone walls in order to establish the plan.

{3} The kiln was stone built, roughly 3.3m in diameter, with a central pedestal. The front of the kiln consisted of an unusual coursed stone façade wall, it had a low flue set behind a thin clay wall at the rear. This kiln probably foreshadows the development of down-draught kilns. The kiln had been constructed within an earlier stokehole pit, clarifying the need for the unusual coursed stone wall.

An assemblage of 6000 sherds were recovered from the primary fill, the sherds consisted of a limited range of late med-early post med type of wares. Predominantly wide mouthed pancheons and small squat handled jugs in a red ware with bibs of thin yellow brown glazes. With the exception of stbbed handles all vessels were without decoration.

Geomagnetic dating of 19 samples placed a last firing date at 1550-70.



{1} Linear feature 5.4m long by 0.4m wide aligned WNW-ESE then turns 100 degrees and runs for 1.7m NNW-SSE. Fill consisted of a dark grey brown silt flecked with charcoal. The feature may be a gully or possibly a construction trench.

<1> Archaeological Services and Consultancy, 1997, Archaeological Evaluation of 21 Woods Lane, Potterspury, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN62288.

<2> Ivens, R. & Woodfield, P., 2003, Potterspury Northants, P. 1 (checked) (Article). SNN103966.

<3> Woodfield P & Ivens R, 1998-9, A Further Mid Sixteenth Century Pottery Kiln at Potterspury, Northants., pp. 160-2 (unchecked) (Article). SNN104038.

<4> PONSFORD M., 2000, Post-medieval Britain and Ireland in 1998 and 1999, p. 293-296 (Notes). SNN107513.

Record last edited

Feb 22 2024 1:04PM