Monument record 719/0/13 - Condate - Roman Pottery Dump and Structures, Weaver Road

<1> From 1988, The Manchester Archaeological Bulletin, Pierce D C, 1988, Vol 3, p.21-25 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3204.

Work to level a garden area cut into an existing bank to a depth of 2m revealed large quantities of Roman pottery. Excn by South Trafford Archaeological Group from August-October 1987 (part-time). Phase I comprised a number of construction trenches, circular post-holes and pits cut into natural red boulder clay, possibly coincident with Flavian I fort. Above the Phase I deposits there was a 2.5m build up of redeposited material (Phase II), comprising a mixture of pebbles, sandstone, pottery, soil, with some stratification involving layers of charcoal. This dumped material, which appears to have been dumped from the hilltop, the area of the Flavian fort platform, was concentrated on the western side of the excavations in a bowl-shaped depression. It contained a large quantity of Romano-British pottery including grey wares, red wares, locally made orange wares, mortaria, a stamped amphora handle from Spain and a small quantity of Samian, also some slag and tile. This phase may represent the clearance activity of the Roman army at the beginning of Flavian II fort. Cut into the Phase II deposit were beam slots and signs of burnt clay and charcoal. At the southern end of the investigated area a bowl-shaped feature was sectioned (possible hearth). Also recorded was a possible drainage ditch alongside a trackway, potentially giving access to the site. Phase III could represent industrial re-use of the site contemporary with the 2nd Flavian fort.

<2> From 1988, The Manchester Archaeological Bulletin, Maude K & Pierce D, 1993, Vol 8, p.80-86 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3204.

The excavation at Weaver Road proved rich in finds with large quantities of pottery recovered, together with plaster, slag, stone, one quern stone, coins and various other small finds. Rubbish had been thrown down the slope from the plateau probably utilising either a natural or artificially formed chute in the manner which is apparent on medieval sites which the Germans term a 'schutehugel'. Overall, 19,444 ceramic fragments weighing 520.62 kgs were recovered, with a range of well‐known types of Roman wares are represented, including: Amphora. Black Burnished, Mortaria, Samian, Creamware, Greyware, Redwares.
Of more importance, however, has been the recovery of pottery wasters and kiln fragments, suggesting that a kiln or kilns were in the vicinity during the Roman period. These kilns must be above the excavated site either in the vicus area or associated with the earliest fort. It is known from earlier excavations that kilns existed within the earliest fort. The pottery wasters are representative of a wide range of styles and fabrics, including mortaria, grey and red wares, and total 210 sherds.

<3> Pierce, D, 1990s?, Weaver Street excavations, Northwich, 1988-1990: Interim Report (Report). SCH9550.

Update report produced for excavations at Weaver Street between 1988-90 following trial excavations in 1987. An additional area of 8.0m by 6.0m was investigated. Five phases of activity were identified.
Phase 1 appears consistent with a natural dumping ground for broken pottery supported by the absence of other contamination. Charcoal, loam, etc. below the crest of the fort/settlement level at an early stage in the development of the area. Several ‘new’ designs of pottery were discovered from this level.
Phase 2 deposits may prove to be the remnants of a workshop/industrial area. Post holes were found to have up to 150mm of redeposited clay on their upper sides which also served as a clay revetting to overlie the natural sand slope. This would have prevented eroded sand in the form of hill wash from being deposited against the side of the building.
Phase 3 is a mix of pebbles, sand, pottery and clay with some degree of stratification, incorporating charcoal deposits. The pebbles provide a seal for the Phase 2 deposits, arguably in the formation of a scree slope from a random tip level originating from the crest of the hilltop. At the south end of Trench 1, a bowl shaped ditch overlaid Phase 3 as a revetment along its northern edge and may have formed a gutter along a roadway giving access to the site and beyond.
Phase 4 consists of one small section of construction trench cut into the top level of Phase 3 and was found to be full of random pottery fragments. The ‘dump’ nature of this phase would not have provided a stable foundation for very long.
Phase 5, overlying Phase 4, was present as an increasing dump depth of red clay on the descending slope of Phase 3. The depth of post holes located would indicate a much greater original thickness of clay prior to its removal by the JCB. The importance of the area for locating a structure is reflected by the determination to provide a substantial foundation in which the uprights would originally have been set. No traces of conjoining construction trenches were found.
(Report contained in 'Rediscovering Roman Northwich. Phase 1: Assessment of the Archaeological Archive', M.Nevell, 2016, p.91-100. See source 4)

<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, could indicate that Northwich was important for pottery production.

<5> University of Salford (Centre for Applied Archaeology), 2016, Rediscovering Roman Northwich. Phase 1: Assessment of the Archaeological Archive, p.12, 87-100; Figs 49-50 (trench plans with features) (Report). SCH8149.

Report of assessment of the archaeological archive for Roman Northwich excavations between 1974 and 1990, including the excavations at Weaver Road. Weaver Road, excavated by the South Trafford Archaeological Group, August 1987 to July 1990. An L‐shaped area was excavated on the northern side of Weaver Road cut into the hillside. This located the foundations for early Roman buildings which had been buried by deliberate rubbish deposits (which included pottery kiln wasters). The final phase included a ditch that might mark a road side boundary. This activity is associated with the vicus.

<6> South Trafford Archaeology Group, 2020, Finds Report: Roman Samian Pottery from the Excavations at Weaver Road, Northwich, Cheshire, 1987 to 1990 (Report). SCH8949.

A finds report was produced in 2020 for the Samian pottery recovered during the excavations at Weaver Road between 1987 and 1990. Samian ware is a type of fine, glossy, red pottery manufactured in several provinces of the Roman Empire but typically made in Roman Gaul from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD. Much of the samian ware from the excavations at Weaver Road, Northwich, was fragmentary and abraded, making the forms difficult to identify and an accurate assessment of the numbers of vessels present difficult. About 480 sherds were examined, including scraps and flakes. Where forms could be identified, excluding scraps, this amounted to at least 224 vessels. Slightly more than half (55.5%) came from the large rubbish deposit (context (2a)). 59% of the material was South Gaulish, from La Graufesenque, 41% from Central Gaul. Of the Central Gaulish ware, a third (14% of the total) was from Les Martres-de-Veyre, two thirds (27% of the total) was probably all from Lezoux.
The date-range of the material was extremely limited, c. AD 80-90 to c. AD 140, in line with the results of previous excavations at Roman Northwich. The present excavation grouping adds a further two scraps of early Flavian Samian pottery to that already known from Northwich. It is perhaps not surprising that early material should be lacking in an industrial area away from the earliest fort. The work of the Lezoux potters of purely Antonine date was absent, as were the later Antonine forms. There was only one example of Samian pottery form 38, which started in the Hadrianic period, and fully developed examples of form 31 appeared to be absent. An end date of c. AD 140 or shortly after for this assemblage therefore seems probable. This accords with the date range of the Roman glass analysed from the same excavations.

<7> South Trafford Archaeology Group, 2023, Finds Report: Roman Glass from the Excavation at Weaver Road, Northwich, Cheshire, 1987 to 1990 (Report). SCH9545.

124 fragments of glass of Roman date were recovered. The fragments came from a minimum of 12 vessels (table wares and bottles), 28 fragments of cast window glass, and five glass objects including a bracelet/anklet fragment and four beads. Most of this material was recovered from Context 2a, a large dump layer. The general condition of the glass was good with little abrasion and reasonable fragment size. The date-range of the material was extremely limited, c. AD 80 to c. AD 140, in line with the Samian ware analysis (SCH8949) and the results of previous excavations at Roman Northwich.

<8> K. Maude, P. Faulkner, D. Pierce, 1990s?, Weaver Street, Northwich: Roman Pottery (Report). SCH9552.

Print out from database recording the Roman pottery recovered from a garden adjacent to Weaver Street (ECH2344). Database was created by K.Maude and P.Faulkner, Dept. of Archaeology, University of Manchester.