Monument record 10382 - Post Medieval Clay Pipe Kiln, Walls and Pit Features, Royal Infirmary (North)

<1> Malcom Reid, 1998, Chester Royal Infirmary Archaeological Excavation 1998 (DRAFT) (Unpublished Report). SCH6699.

Extensive archaeological remains dating from Roman to post medieval times were recorded during 1998 excavations at the Royal Infirmary, building upon earlier archaeological work carried out in 1992 (ECH3601). One of the more significant post medieval features was found in the southern area of the site where a tobacco pipe kiln was identified. Situated near a series of medieval period wall (CHER 10381), the kiln was oval in plan, measured 0.75m by 0.8m and lay within a shallow, purpose-built pit 0.2m deep. The kiln had a concave base of clay and the walls of the kiln were lined with small firebricks, with larger bricks at the mouth of the kiln and the stoke hole. Filled with the material from its last firing, it contained the muffle and clay tobacco pipe, in addition to kiln furniture, and a charcoal spread could be identified just outside. A sizable assemblage of post medieval pottery was also found in deposits just outside the kiln. (See also sources 2 and 3)

<2> Chester Archaeology, 1998, Dig News (Newsletter). SCH6352.

<3> Chester City Council Archaeology Service, 1998, The Past Uncovered (Newsletter). SCH6019.

<4> Nenk B. Margeson S & Hurley M, 1999, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1998 (Article in Journal). SCH5641.

<5> Ponsford, Michael, 1993, Post-Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1992, p224 (Article in Journal). SCH6068.

Just north of the kiln were a complex of walls associated with it, and two pits, including one very large pit about 3m across and 1.2m deep, cut into bedrock and containing residual medieval material and post medieval pottery.

<6> Ancient Monuments Laboratory, 2001, Chester Royal Infirmary, Chester, Cheshire: Archaeomagnetic Dating Report (Report). SCH7390.

It is often possible to date features such as the pipe kiln from the typological analysis of the clay pipes that they produced, hence the Ancient Monuments Laboratory was contacted with a view to sampling the kiln to improve archaeomagnetic calibration information for the period. Unfortunately, despite the magnetisations of samples from the kiln being stable, it appeared that the feature had slumped since it was last fired and it was not possible to date magnetically.