Posted on

Huntingdonshire & Peterborough

Discredited Kiln Sites

The following, formerly claimed as kiln sites, cannot on present evidence be included in the gazetteer:
Earith N of Earith village, TL391759; this small, alleged pottery kiln (Green 1955) is now considered by the excavator to have probably functioned as a hearth or corn-drier, as ‘there was not the quantity of pottery normally found associated with kilns’ (inf. M Green).

Old Fletton London Brick Co., No. 1 Yard, TL198965 approx; the bar fragments, found in clay-digging in the late 19th century (VCH Hunts 1 (1926) 250; RCHM Peterbor 29; OS Records), are generally of lighter construction and not burnt to the same degree as local pottery-kiln bars; as they do not resemble saltern equipment either, they may have derived from another type of industrial or agricultural hearth (Gurney 1981, 82-3).

Peterborough Within under W wall of N transept of the Cathedral, TL19499866; the bars and fired-clay slab attributed to pottery production (JBAA 45 (1889) 363-4; P Mus AR 18-19 (1890-91) 29; RCHM Peterbor 3) are unlike furniture usually associated with kiln sites in the region; the bars are generally of lighter construction and not burnt to the same degree as those from local pottery kilns; they are also unlike typical salting equipment, and may therefore have been connected with another type of industrial or agricultural hearth (Gurney 1981,81-3).

Werrington SW of The Inhams, TF17550452; bars found on this site (RCHM Peterbor 14) are morphologically untypical of those from Romano-British pottery-kiln sites in the area; they may have derived from another type of industrial or agricultural hearth, associated with the nearby IA-RB rural settlement (inf. D F Mackreth).

Woodston London Brick Co., No. 4 Yard, TL185960 approx; fire-bar fragment, found in clay-digging in 1884(VCH Hunts 1 (1926) 251; RCHM Peterbor 36; OS Records), is less substantial and less heavily-fired than bars from local pottery-kiln sites; it also does not resemble salting equipment, and may therefore have derived from another
type of industrial or agricultural hearth (Gurney 1981,82-3).

Bibliography and Abbreviations

Artis, E. T. 1828. The Durobrivae of Antoninus Identified and Illustrated in a Series of Plates exhibiting the Excavated Remains of that Roman Station in the Vicinity of Castor, Northamptonshire. London.

Artis, E. T. 1847. Report on recent Excavations made at Sibson, near Wansford, Northamptonshire, on the Estate of the Duke of Bedford. J. Brit. Archaeol. Ass. 2 (1847), 164-9.

BB: Black-burnished ware (see Glossary).

BG Mus, London: Bethnal Green Museum, London.

BM, London: The British Museum, Bloomsbury, London.

BNFAS: Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies (from Vol. I (1966) to Vol. VII (1972); thereafter NA, see below).

CA Centre, Cambridge: Cambridge Archaeological Centre, 78 Castle Street, Cambridge.

CBA Grp 7 BAD: Council for British Archaeology (regional) Group 7. Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries.

Dannell, G. B. 1973. The Potter Indixivixus. In Detsicas 1973,139-42.

Dannell, G. B. 1974. Roman Industry in Normangate Field, Castor. Durobrivae. A review of Nene Valley archaeology 2 (1974), 7-9.

Dannell, G. B. 1975. Longthorpe, 1974. Durobrivae. A review of Nene Valley archaeology 3 (1975), 18-20.

Detsicas, A. P. (ed.) 1973. Current Research in Romano-British Coarse Pottery. C.B.A. Res. Rept. 10 (1973). London.

Gents Mag: The Gentleman’s Magazine.

Gillam 00: Vessel-type numbers in Gillam, J. P. 1970. Types of Roman Coarse Pottery Vessels in Northern Britain. 3rd ed. Newcastle upon Tyne.

Green, M. 1955. Roman Pottery Kiln found at Earith, Hunts. Proc. Cambridge Antiq. Soc. 48 (1955), 44-6.

Greene 00: Form-numbers of vessels from Usk fortress in Greene, K. The Pottery from Usk. In Detsicas 1973, 25-37.

Gurney, D. 1981. Romano-British Salt Production on the Western Fen-edge: a Reassessment. Proc. Cambridge Antiq. Soc. 71 (1981), 81-8.

Hartley, B. R. 1960. Notes on the Roman Pottery Industry in the Nene Valley. Peterborough Museum Society Occas. Paper No. 2 (1960, reprinted 1972).

Howe et al. 1980. Howe, M. D., Perrin, J. R. and Mackreth, D. F. Roman Pottery from the Nene Valley: A Guide. Peterborough City Museum Occas. Paper No. 2.

Huddersfield Mus: Tolson Memorial Museum, Ravensknowle Park, Huddersfield.

JBAA : Journal of the British Archaeological Association.

JRS: Journal of Roman Studies.

L Mus: Longsands (School) Museum, St Neots.

Lud. XX: Type-letters of vessel-forms in Ludowici, W. 1908. Urnengräber römischer Töpfer in Rheinzabern, III. Jockgrim 1905-1908.

NA: Northamptonshire Archaeology (Vol VIII (1973) onwards; for preceding volumes see BNFAS).

NVRC: Nene Valley Research Committee.

NVRCAFC: The Nene Valley Research Committee Archaeological Field Centre, Ham Lane House, Ham Lane, Orton, Waterville, Peterborough.

OS: Ordnance Survey.

PCAS: Proceedings of Cambridge Antiquarian Society.

PDC: Peterborough Development Corporation.

Perrin, J. R. 1980. Pottery of ‘London Ware’type from the Nene Valley. Durobrivae. A review of Nene Valley archaeology 8 (1980), 9-10.

Peterborough Mus: Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, Priestgate, Peterborough.

P Mus AR: Peterborough Museum Annual Report.

PSAL: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

RCHM Peterbor: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). Peterborough New Town. A Survey of the Antiquities in the Areas of Development. HMSO 1969.

Smith, C. R. 1846. On Roman potters’ kilns and pottery, discovered by E. T. Artis in the county of Northampton. J Brit. Archaeol. Ass. 1 (1846), 1-9.

VCH Hunts: The Victoria County History of Huntingdonshire.

Wacher, J. S. 1978. Roman Britain. London.

Wild, J. P. 1973a. A fourth-century Potter’s Workshop and Kilns at Stibbington, Peterborough. In Detsicas 1973,135-8.

Wild, J. P. 1973b. Longthorpe, an Essay in Continuity. Durobrivae: A review of Nene Valley archaeology 1 (1973), 7-10.

Wild, J. P. 1974. Roman Settlement in the Lower Nene Valley. Archaeol. J. 131 (1974), 140-70.

Wild, J. P. 1977. Eine Militärische Töpferei beim Legionslager in Longthorpe, Peterborough. Studien zu den Militargrenzen. Roms II: Vorträge des 10 Internationalen Limeskongresses in der Germania Inferior, 75-80. Köln.

Wild, J. P. (undat.). The Romans in the Nene Valley. NVRC, Peterborough.