Monument record 719/0/20 - Condate - Roman Pottery Kiln, Waterloo Road

This pottery kiln was formerly recorded as CHER 719/0/12

<1> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1845-Present, Archaeological Journal, Vol 128, 1971, p.31-77, 'Excavations at Northwich (Condate)', G.D.B. Jones (Journal/Periodical). SCH338.

In 1969-70 the remains of a well preserved Roman pottery kiln were found under the demolished remains of No. 26 Waterloo Road. The kiln was of simple updraught type with furnace, oven and a long stoke hole (6ft by 4ft). A central pedestal was formed in the oven by leaving a section of the natural clay intact whilst digging out two parallel flues to the same level as the stoke-hole, circa 2 foot deep. The oven floor had been made in two stages. First a series of fire-bars had been made by laying twigs horizontally across the flue tops, one end resting on the central pedestal, the other end pushed into the clay perimeter, these were covered by clay and then fired, burning away the twigs which had left impressions in the bars. A pierced floor was then added above the bars. The oven base showed an inward curve and had been supported by pot sherds on the inside. The kiln had been deliberately infilled with rubble from the covering dome, mixed with clay and charcoal. A small pit to the south-west of the kiln contained wares from the kiln. The kiln indicates the existence of local potters supplying the military market prior to the establishment of large scale production centres. The pottery is the work of a local potter 'MACO', identified from a mortarium stamp. Despite the relatively small amount of sherds found associated with the kiln, a wide range of vessel types were present including jars, cooking pots, flagons/flasks, bowls and mortaria. Also found was an imitation samian bowl (form Dragendorf 37). The basic fabric of the pottery is orange-buff in colour; only three examples showed indications of a slip. The group of wares dates to the Trajanic-Hadrianic period. (Article includes plan and section of kiln)

<2> DOE, 1972, Archaeological Excavations 1971, p.42-3 (Book). SCH333.

<3> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Watson, M. 3/10/2014 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

GIS location updated from 6 fig OS SJ 655 735 to location shown on trench plan from source 1.

<4> Jones G D B, 1992, Condate - Roman Northwich: The Last Hurrah (Unpublished Document). SCH3820.

Notes on excavations on Castle Hill, Northwich, for lecture at Cheshire Archaeology Day 1992. The presence of a pottery kiln in Waterloo Road, together with the considerable quantity of dumped first/second century AD pottery found at Weaver Street (see CHER 719/0/13), could indicate that Northwich was important for pottery production.

<5> Curzon J.B, 2000, Condate Castellum - The Rediscovery of the Roman Site on Castle Hill in Northwich, p.16-17 (Book). SCH8153.

Account of the find of the kiln. A large clay quarry pit was found near by which contained several near complete pots which had been mis-shapen in the kiln. (Includes photos of the kiln and the quarry pit)