Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

In 1972 industrial work resulted in the discovery of a large pit filled with pottery wasters. Mechanical stripping of the area above the pit revealed a medieval tile kiln dated to the 13th century. It appeared to be cut into the slope of the ground where waste products of Romano-British pottery had been deposited. It was deduced that an earlier tile kiln must have existed. The waste included Hofheim-type flagons,early colour coated wares, terra nigra platters and other forms imitating gallo-belgic wares. Stratified samian ware suggested a closing date of AD70. The industry may have been linked with the wealthy owners of Eccles Roman Villa (TQ 76 SW 10) who may have supplied pottery wares to the army. This may explain the involvement of the army in the building of the first bath house of the villa.

The exact siting of the Roman kiln has not been established and industrial properties now occupy the area.

Monument Types

• POTTERY KILN (Roman - 43 AD to 70 AD?)
• TILE KILN (Roman - 43 AD to 290 AD)
• TILE KILN (Medieval - 1233 AD to 1266 AD)

Associated Finds

• WASTER (Roman - 43 AD to 70 AD)

Full description

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A Roman updraught kiln of rectangular construction, comparable with Grimes's type III (Grimes says that such kilns could be used for either tiles or pottery), was excavated in 1966 at TQ 7173 6047, after being exposed by bulldozing operations. Detsicas describes it as a tilery and infers from the fact that tiles were used in its construction that an earlier tile kiln must have existed in the vicinity. Finds were not plentiful, consisting almost entirely of coarse pottery, some stratified and dating the kiln's use to circa AD 180-290. Only one tile - an imbrex - is reported apart from those actually used in the construction of the kiln. The site is now concreted over. Industrial work at TQ 718 605 resulted in 1972 in the discovery of a large pit filled with pottery wasters, and mechanical stripping of the level area above the pit revealed that a medieval tile kiln dated to the mid C13 by tiles used in its construction had been built there, evidently cut into the slope of the ground in an area which had been used to deposit the waste-products of Romano- British pottery manufacture, for it was surrounded by enormous quantities of wasters of types hitherto considered only as imports from the continent, mainly Hofheim type flagons, but also including early colour-coated wares, terra nigra platters and other forms imitating Gallo-Belgic wares, mortaria, carinated bowls, butt beakers etc. Stratified Samian from this material supports a closing date of circa AD 70 for this activity, and large scale pottery manufacture by the owner of the Eccles villa (TQ 76 SW 10) is suggested, supplying the greatly expanding market following the Roman conquest. The volume of the industry was probably due to the demand represented by the invading Roman army; the preponderance of Hofheim-type flagons in the waste deposit is at least a pointer to the possibility of an army contract. This would help to explain the involvement of the army in the building of the first bath-house of the villa. The kilns connected with the early pottery industry have not been located(1-4) Siting of the kiln at TQ 71736047 was confirmed by the foreman of the yard now occupying the situation. (5) TQ 7175 6047 approx. Claudio-Neronian kiln at Eccles. Range of products found may imply supply to military consumers via the river Medway. (6) Additional bibliography (not consulted). (7-9)

<1> Arch Cant 82 1967 170-174 plan (A P Detsicas) (OS Card Reference). SKE35739.

<2> Arch Cant 88 1973 78-9 213 (A P Detsicas) (OS Card Reference). SKE35962.

<3> Arch Cant 89 1974 130-131 133 (A P Detsicas) (OS Card Reference). SKE35968.

<4> Y Cymmrodor 41 1930 59 and illust (W F Grimes) (OS Card Reference). SKE51422.

<5> F1 ASP 15-AUG-66 (OS Card Reference). SKE42116.

<6> Pottery Kilns of Roman Britain 1964 389 (V G Swan) (OS Card Reference). SKE48571.

<7> Tile Kiln list 36 (Alan McWhir Leicester Polytechnic) (OS Card Reference). SKE50563.

<8> BAR Supl Ser 30 Roman Pottery Studies in Britain and Beyond 1977 19-36 illust (eds H Dore and K Gree (OS Card Reference). SKE37597.

<9> Arch J 123 1966 27-61 (R B Dunnett) (OS Card Reference). SKE36537.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 76 SW 36 - August, 1966 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4196.

Sources and further reading