Coaley, Potgastons Field (N.G.R. SO/75750355). A field name on the Tithe Map of Coaley suggests pottery manufacture but there is no archaeological evidence (Fowler and Bennett 1973, 30).
Hard.
Reduced dark grey or black with oxidized dark brown surfaces (7.5YR 4/2)
Coarse fragments of subangular and rounded quartz and quartzite, fragments of red and white medium-grained sandstones and rounded red and black iron ore, all up to 2.0mm across. Limestone fragments of the same size may be present but are rare.
Laminated and fine textured, little or no angular quartz or mica. Thin-sections Chepstow; M811-4, M838(?), M858, M872(?). Gloucester; M981. Grosmont; M214. Wallingstones; M9.
The Forest of Dean. Exact source or sources unknown. The temper used is almost all derived from sandstones. Sandstone hills which might yield deposits of subangular sandstone and quartz sand are present both in the Forest of Dean and to the west of the Wye at Wentwood.
Cooking Pots. Handmade cylindrical squat cooking pots often with a rolled-out and inturned rim. Jugs. Handmade vessels with a patchy glaze, found only at Awre.
This ware is absent from the earliest levels at Chepstow (site XI phase 1), which must imply, at the earliest, an early to mid-12th century starting date and it is certainly not found at Gloucester in late 11th century contexts. It is first found on 12th century sites in the Forest of Dean, such as Chepstow, Lydney Castle, Bledisloe Tump (Awre), Little Dean Camp and St. Briavel's Castle. Similar wares, but probably not from the same source, are found in the middle Wye valley (Monmouth, Tretire, Wallingstones). It is uncertain how many production sites are involved in the manufacture of this ware. At Chepstow, even though only a fraction of the 12th to 13th century pottery was of this type, four quite distinct groups of cooking pots could be identified. The glazed jugs at Awre occur in a general occupation spread overlying the beacon and cannot be dated by their context. A late 12th to early 13th century date would be appropiate.
Casey (1931), Talbot (1966), Scott-Garrett (1958), Vince (forthcoming e).
Hard.
Usually black or grey (7.5YR 3 to 4/0 or 2) but sometimes light brown surfaces (7.5YR 6/4).
Abundant ill-sorted fragments of limestone and iron ore, mainly rounded and up to 1.0mm across but sometimes up to 4.0mm across. The limestone is mainly composed of fragments of brown-stained fossils in a fine crystalline calcite matrix but calcite and sparry oolite also occur. Rounded quartz grains, c.0.1mm to 0.5mm, brown micaceous mudstone up to 2.0mm, White sandstone and dark angular chert fragments are found but are much rarer.
slightly micaceous. Thin-sections Gloucester; M31, M376-380, M388, M438-443, M448, M454-5, M748-9. Hereford; M127, M131, M397, M502-8. Worcester; M694-5.
Gloucester. A pit containing waster vessels was found at 1 Westgate Street. If the potting took place close by then clay would probably have had to be imported to the site, since none of the excavated late Saxon features in that area were cut into natural clay.
Cooking pots. Three quite distinct types of cooking pot were produced. The first is a bag-shaped, handmade vessel with uneven walls, probably produced from a single lump of clay. The rim is added and gives a very thick neck. The rims in this type are everted and sometimes flat topped. The second type is wheelthrown and is globular with a dished-out base. The rims are everted sharply and sometimes have a vertical neck. The third type is similar to the second but has a lid- seated rim. Other types are found but are not common, for example straight-sided club-rimmed cooking pots were found at 1 Westgate Street, Gloucester. Crucibles. Glass-making crucibles were found at 1 Westgate Street, Gloucester.
Found in the earliest pottery-producing levels at Hereford, which are either late ninth or early 10th century. In 10th century levels at Hereford the ware forms c.10% of all pottery, rising in the 11th century to c.23%. There is then a gap in the Hereford sequence and by the late 11th century there was no Gloucester Late Saxon ware in use. At Gloucester the ware forms up to 100% of the pottery used in the 10th century and is replaced during the early 11th century. 'transitional' vessels in this fabric but in squat cooking pot forms are tentatively recognised at Gloucester and dated to the early-mid 11th century. The only other findspots of this ware are Worcester, Frampton-on-Severn and Winchcombe. At Frampton it was the only type present (but in a small group) while at Worcester and Winchcombe the ware was a small proportion of the contemporary pottery.
Vince (1978 a, 1979a, and forthcoming a, d & f), Morris (1978, 1980).
Hard.
Light grey core (7.5YR 4,5 or 6/0) with oxidized yellowish red to brown surfaces (5YR 5/6 to 7.5YR 5 to 6/2 to4, 10YR 5/4) Spouted pitchers are noticably higher fired than the cooking pots but still have a reduced core.
Rounded inclusions of oolitic limestone with a fine-grained calcite cement, some sparry calcite and shell fragments, some tabular red iron ore. A coarse, well- sorted sand up to 4.0mm across.
sparce fine angular quartz, some rounded quartz, up to 0.2mm and possibly the cores of ooliths, brown iron ore, white mica and limestone. The matrix is variagated in colour and texture. Thin-sections Dublin; M369. Chepstow; M881-2. Droitwich; M689. Gloucester; M179, M389. Hereford; M132, M509-515.
Probably Haresfield. The characteristics of the clay matrix are closely matched by samples of Upper Lias clay from Haresfield and there is a reference in the Domesday Book to potters there.
Cooking pots. Handmade, squat vessels. mainly with curving walls and everted or club rims. Several rim forms are found: i) tall everted rims, ii) stubby everted rims, iii) flat topped everted rims, iv) infolded everted rims and v) variations on the club rim, some of which have a groove running along the top. Sometimes the tip of the club rim is higher than the neck and sometimes lower. Spouted Pitchers. Body forms as cooking pots but with a rectangular handle and tubular spout. Unlike the Bristol area vessels stamping and other decoration, although sometimes present, is rare. The most common stamps are 'wheel' patterns. Socketed Bowl. One vessel from Gloucester is a straight-sided socketed bowl. 'West country vessels' with a stubby everted rim. Only one example known. Tripod Pitchers. Covered with a thin lead glaze. Only three examples known.
It is thought that this ware first occurs in the early to mid-11th century, although evidence is sparce before the Norman Conquest outside of Gloucester. Even there, the only demonstrably pre-conquest examples are from the Berkeley Street site (a group of pottery from contexts cut by a pit containing a coin of William I) and St. Oswalds Priory (pottery stratified in a sequence of floors, the latest of which is cut by the foundations of a Norman arcade dated c.1120). These early contexts contain stubby everted rimmed cooking pots. Late 11th century contexts are more common and contain both cooking pots and spouted pitchers. One of the tripod pitchers was stratified in a late 11th century context. A variety of rims forms is found by this time, including club rims. 12th century contexts contain a very similar range of forms with the addition of inturned everted rim and flat topped everted rim types. The 'west country vessel' is also from a 12th century context. Spouted pitchers are probably not used by the late 12th century and are definitely absent from early 13th century contexts. Except in rare circumstances, it is not possible to give a close date to unstratified examples of this ware. It is also not possible to distinguish it from other limestone- tempered wares if, as on many Cotswold sites, the inclusions are leached out. Thus the evidence for distribution to the east may be understated and the evidence for the dating of this distribution has to be taken solely from stratified contexts. In the early-mid 11th century only two definite findspots are known; Gloucester and Dublin (Christchurch Place). By the late 11th century the ware is found at Gloucester , Chepstow, Hereford, and Droitwich and by the 12th century is found at Gloucester, Chepstow, Hereford, Pershore and Worcester. In the late 12th century, the ware is found only at Hereford and Gloucester and is probably absent from early 13th century contexts at Hereford. The exact end of the industry is not known but it is unlikely to be far into the 13th century. However, the everted, inturned rim cooking pots and internally glazed cooking pots, although rare, occur only in contexts containing Worcester-type jugs or other pottery of c.1220 or later.
Vince (1978a, 1979a and forthcoming a, d, e & f).
Hard.
Black, sometimes with an oxidized dark brown outer surface (5YR 3/4).
Abundant inclusions of rounded clear and milky quartz sand, well sorted (av. c.0.5mm across) and moderate inclusions of rounded limestone (including fine- grained , muddy, oolitic and fossiliferous types) up to 2.0mm across and rounded and angular iron ore fragments up to 1.0mm across. Two thin-sections revealed fayalite slag inclusions. Both were of atypical and possibly Late Saxon vessels.
Small specks of limestone, angular quartz and rounded iron ore specks. Thin-sections Gloucester; M190-2, M392, M978.
Gloucester. The fabric of the kiln wall fragments from 1 Westgate Street was identical to this ware and similar similar inclusions were seen in a sample of sand from Kingsholm, Gloucester.
Cooking Pots. Handmade, cylindrical squat vessels with everted infolded and/or outfolded rims. Two other cooking pot types are represented by single examples; a small globular handmade pot with everted, flat topped rim and a globular wheelthrown vessel with an everted rim with a distinct ledge inside at the neck. The exterior of the pot is covered by close-set rilling. 'west country vessel' one example found (base only)
Found exclusively at Gloucester. The earliest examples are the globular handmade vessel, which comes from St. Oswalds Priory in what should be a primary, 10th century context (the backfill of the bell- casting pit) and a similar rim sherd from the late 11th century robbing of the Roman East Gate. The Wheelthrown vessel, although definitely of local manufacture, is very similar to late Saxon wheelthrown cooking pots at Cheddar and Portchester. A similar 10th to 11th century date is therefore suggested, although the Gloucester vessel was not stratified. The cylindrical form is found only in 12th century contexts but is not common.
Vince (1978 a and forthcoming f).
Soft.
Variable from black to reddish yellow (5YR 6/6)
Sparse limestone (including oolite) and brown iron ore or clay pellets up to 1. 0mm. Abundant voids from finely-divided organic temper (dung?)
Abundant fine angular quartz and white mica up to 0.1mm. Thin-sections: Not sectioned.
Gloucester. Probably the same 'pink alluvial clay' used in the manufacture of brick and tile (TF88). Gloucester had a thriving Bell Foundry from the 14th century to the 18th century and mid 13th century references to potters in Archdeacon Lane and Neweland may refer to bronze founders rather than ceramic potters. (Stevenson, 1893, 159 no. 336 and 171 no. 372).
Cope and core mould fragments are found but it is rarely possible to determine the type of object produced. At St. Oswalds Priory a bell mould was found whilst at Northgate Street (74/68) cauldrons were almost certainly the product.
The St. Oswalds bell-mould is dated to the 10th century by lettering. The Northgate Street pit group is dated to the 13th century (?) and isolated fragments are sometimes found in later medieval and post-medieval contexts in Gloucester. Mould fragments from Hereford were in a different fabric.
Vince (forthcoming f) and Heighway (1978)..
Hard to very hard.
Oxidized very pale brown to reddish yellow (10YR 7/3 to 7. 5YR6/6).
Sparse inclusions of subangular to rounded clear and milky quartz up to 0.5mm. (rarely up to 1. 0mm). Rare inclusions of red clay or iron ore (1mm), red sandstone (rounded quartz grains c. 0.1mm cemented by haematite) and larger angular limestone (heat-altered, up to 4mm). Clay Matrix: White mica and sparse quartz and red clay pellets up to c. 0.06mm.
Gloucester; M176, M197, M963.
Unknown.
Wheelthrown vessels with squared rims, flat bases and oval handles. Decoration is rare but turned grooves and a thumbed band around the girth are found. A clear or copper- flecked glaze is found, normally a bib below the spout.
Recognised only at Gloucester and rare there. The best dated contexts in which it is found are Northgate Street (74/68) period D (late 14th to 15th century?) and Northgate Street (26/73) pre-building levels (mid to late 15th century?). The other occurences of the fabric could all be 15th century.
Vince (forthcoming f).
Hard.
Oxidized red (2. 5YR 5/8).
Sparse black clay pellets, 2-3mm across, and rounded clear quartz grains up to 1. 0mm. The tiles have sand on the undersides which consists mainly of rounded clear and milky quartz grains c. 0.5mm with rare black iron ore up to 1.0mm and rounded limestone or shell fragments up to 5mm. Clay Matrix: Abundant angular quartz and white mica.
Not sectioned.
Gloucester. Documentary evidence shows that brick- making on the flood-plain of the Severn was common in the 17th century and remains of hand-made brick manufacture have been found on the route of the Northern By-pass by G. A. D. A. R. G. Petrologically, the fabric is made from the 'pink alluvial clay' which, for example, fills the Roman eastern river channel at Gloucester. The sand is similar to the tempering of Glos. TF43 and to a sand sample from the northern river terrace at Kingsholm.
Hand-made in a sanded mould. Late 16th to 17th century dimensions unknown but later dimensions range from 235 to 255mm (length), 95 to 122mm (width) and 27mm to 66mm (thickness).
Hand-made in a sanded mould. Both nibs and peg- holes are present. One example (in an early 18th century context) is stamped with what might be a monogram.
Found in two late 16th century contexts (Northgate Street, 26/73 I layer 154, and Eastgate period 10C) at Gloucester.
Vince (forthcoming f)
hard.
Oxidized red (2. 5YR 5/6) with a light grey core.
Abundant thin shell fragments over 10mm long and c. 0.5mm thick. Moderate angular red iron ore and rounded limestone (heat-altered) up to 3.0mm. Sparse subangular to rounded, clear and milky quartz up to 0.5mm. Rare red sandstone fragments up to 4. 0mm. Clay Matrix: - Thin-sections: Not sectioned. Source: Unknown.
Thick curved tiles, 18mm to 20mm. No crests or other decoration seen.
One definite example.
Gloucester only. Found at 1 Westgate Street (49/75) in a late 12th century context. The shouldered peg tile is from a late 12th century context at the Eastgate site.
Vince (1979 a and forthcoming f)
[Further work by the author (on Much Marcle) and Steve Clarke of the Monmouth Archaeological Society (on the middle Wye valley) has refined the source and date of this ware further since 1984]
Hard.
Black-cored with brown to pale brown oxidized surfaces (10YR 5/3 to 6/3).
Subangular quartz and quartzite (mainly up to 0.4mm rarely up to 0.7mm), angular fragments of limestone up to 0.3mm containing rounded quartz inclusions in a sparry calcite cement (often c. 2/3 of the rock volume) with brown-staining along veins and around the quartz, rounded fragments of grey micaceous fine-grained sandstone mainly up to 0.4mm but one fragment severalmm. across and angular.
Sparse white mica and angular quartz up to 0.1mm.
M982, M993.
Unknown.
Wheelthrown vessels with a roughly cylindrical form and everted rims.
Recognised only at Gloucester. Very rare there; two unstratified examples from the Eastgate and possible examples from Northgate Street (74/68) in a mid-13th century context.
Vince, forthcoming f..
Hard.
Rounded limestone fragments (including Oolite) and sparse rounded quartz and red iron ore.
Solihull; M631-3. Winchcombe; M907, M909.
Unknown. The distribution suggests a source or sources in North Gloucestershire.
Cylindrical handmade vessels with club rims. Also curving walled vessels with rolled-out or everted rims.
One hand-made, unglazed pitcher from Winchcombe.
Found in pits at the Winchcombe Co-op site. One pit containing club-rimmed vessels was cut by another containing the same types plus Glos. TF41A and could therefore date to the 10th or early 11th centuries. The curving walled cooking pots were associated with 12th century wares. Other find spots include Upton D.M.V. , sites in the Stow region and possibly Cirencester, where they are rare in comparison with Cirencester-type ware. They form the most common ware found at Whichford Castle, in S. E. Warwickshire, and thus the distribution extends out of the survey area (Whittingham, forthcoming).
Vince (forthcoming d) describes the petrology of the Winchcombe vessels and illustrates a range of forms. Further examples are published by Rahtz (1969) and Hilton & Rahtz (1966). see also Whittingham (forthcoming)..
COMMON NAME: North Cotswolds 2.
Hardness
Hard. Colour: Usually oxidized with a light grey core.
Principal Inclusions
Rounded limestone (including oolite), sparse rounded quartz and red iron ore.
Clay Matrix
Fine.
Thin-sections
Not sectioned.
Source
Unknown. Probably North Gloucestershire. The range of inclusions is similar to North Cotswolds 1. The main differences are in the proportion of inclusions present, the firing and the presence of glaze). If all these vessels are from one source, they probably come from a potting centre similar to that at Minety. The North Cotswolds 2 forms are very similar to those of Minety..
Similar vessels, for example wheelthrown jugs and bowls, have been published by Jope from a kiln site at Ascot Doilly (Jope, 1959). This ware has not been examined by the author but the published fabric description is very similar to that of North Cotswolds 2.
Wheelthrown with a thin glaze around the inside of the rim.
Wheelthrown with slashed strap handles.
Curving walled, wheelthrown vessels. internal clear glaze.
Slab-built vessels. Internal clear glaze.
Found at Upton D.M.V. with 13th and 14th century wares. Also noted at Whichford Castle, in S. E. Warwickshire, but absent from Winchcombe. However, later medieval pottery from Winchcombe is rare.
Hilton & Rahtz (1966), Rahtz (1969) and Whittingham (forthcoming)..
hard.
Oxidized reddish yellow to red (5YR 6/8 to 2. 5YR 5/8) often with a darker reddish brown skin (2. 5YR 4/4).
There is a wide variation in the quantity of temper and in the grain-size distribution. Sparse to moderate angular and subangular quartz up to 0.5mm and a little felspar of similar size. Sparse larger inclusions of rounded red clay pellets (some tinged with black), rounded quartz and quartzite and rounded sandstones (containing quartz grains up to 0.3mm across and some interstitial amorphous brown material) all up to 2. 0mm.
Optically anisotropic and isotropic examples. Angular quartz and a variable quantity of white mica up to 0. 1mm across.
Chepstow; M816-7. Gloucester; M976-7. Stroat kiln; M1054-7.
Stroat, near Tidenham. A kiln was destroyed by road-widening in 1957 and two samples of kiln waste were obtained by Gloucester City Museum (25/1961 and 25/1966). Examination of a soil profile at Woolaston, close to Tidenham, showed a red micaceous clay overlain and partially mixed with rounded sands and gravels. These larger inclusions are very similar to those found in the pottery.
Large bowls with moulded rims. large horizontal handles fastened to the body with double thumb impressions. Wide, pulled out spouts. Some vessels are white slipped and all are knife-trimmed.
Wide-mouthed jars some with a thumbed band around the neck. Internally glazed.
Slab-built with horizontal handles and a pouring lip at the corner. Internally glazed.
Two examples from Gloucester. White slipped interior. Applied supports around the rim. A base (Lower Quay Street, 28/79 I (355)) has an acute angle and large triangular holes cut out of it. A base sherd from the Eastgate site may be from a Collander or possibly a chafing dish. Ridge tiles. Crested tiles, on which the crest is hand- moulded with three thumb impressions at the trough, one on either side and one on top.
Found at Chepstow (unstratified), and at Gloucester. The earliest stratified examples are from a late 16th century group but it is first common in a group of the early 17th century. Found in early to mid 17th century groups and probably no longer produced by c.1680. Found at Hailes Abbey (unstratified) and Tewkesbury Holm Castle (unstratified) suggesting a river-borne trade. Documentary evidence for potting at Stroat is of late 16th and early 17th century date, c.1599 and c.1608 (VCH GLOS X, 1972, 72, 195-6).
Vince (forthcoming f). The kiln waste is unpublished.