Newport’s Medieval Kiln is the most well-preserved medieval pottery kiln in the UK!
The kiln’s preservation may be due to the fact that it has a memorial hall built over it!
A pair of 15th Century kiln’s were discovered in 1921 while digging the foundations of the Memorial Hall in Newport, Pembrokeshire. Only one was drawn up by the archaeologist at the time and so it is thought that the second may have been in a poor condition or lost entirely. There is a chance that the firebox for a second kiln will be discovered during the forth-coming excavations!
The kiln type relates most closely to the post-medieval phase!
The pottery kilns were quickly excavated and published in note form with a sketch plan and elevation, by archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler. They went ahead with building the memorial hall and now the kiln (or kilns) is situated quietly under the stage in the hall!
Now (2016) there is appeal to raise the funds to reveal the documented pottery kiln. The memorial hall will be largely unaffected and no stage area will be lost – in fact, the hall will gain a medieval kiln viewing area!
The kiln will be able to be viewed (for FREE) from outside the hall, by removing some wall. It will be atmospherically lit and passers by will be able to see the layers of history for the first time!
The Kilns were probably built into the natural slope at the site, set into the ground. Surrounding the kilns there would probably have also been buildings, shelters, clay processing areas and clay pits.
The pottery from this site is of a known type called Dyfed Gravel-Tempered Ware and does not have a clearly established date range. The fabric/body varies in coarseness and many sherds have little or no glaze.
As it stands now, the kiln is partially excavated and sits neatly within the foundation walls of the stage area of the Memorial Hall. The excavated area includes the firebox and whole of the combustion chamber of the kiln and part of the stoking area. The flue structure is intact, along with the roof of the firebox and all or most of the kiln chamber floor. A few centimetres of the ware-chamber wall above are also present. Interestingly, there is a dividing wall within the structure that is not present on the drawings by Wheeler, and this means that the circular chamber has been split into two. There is hope of finding the second firebox on the other side of this dividing wall!
Find out more on the excellent write-up by David Dawson and Oliver Kent – HERE!
Follow the progress of the project HERE!
Newport Memorial Hall, West Street, Newport SA42 0TD
Newport’s Medieval Kiln is the most well-preserved medieval pottery kiln in the UK!
The kiln’s preservation may be due to the fact that it has a memorial hall built over it!
A pair of 15th Century kiln’s were discovered in 1921 while digging the foundations of the Memorial Hall in Newport, Pembrokeshire. Only one was drawn up by the archaeologist at the time and so it is thought that the second may have been in a poor condition or lost entirely. There is a chance that the firebox for a second kiln will be discovered during the forth-coming excavations!
The kiln type relates most closely to the post-medieval phase!
The pottery kilns were quickly excavated and published in note form with a sketch plan and elevation, by archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler. They went ahead with building the memorial hall and now the kiln (or kilns) is situated quietly under the stage in the hall!
Now (2016) there is appeal to raise the funds to reveal the documented pottery kiln. The memorial hall will be largely unaffected and no stage area will be lost – in fact, the hall will gain a medieval kiln viewing area!
The kiln will be able to be viewed (for FREE) from outside the hall, by removing some wall. It will be atmospherically lit and passers by will be able to see the layers of history for the first time!
The Kilns were probably built into the natural slope at the site, set into the ground. Surrounding the kilns there would probably have also been buildings, shelters, clay processing areas and clay pits.
The pottery from this site is of a known type called Dyfed Gravel-Tempered Ware and does not have a clearly established date range. The fabric/body varies in coarseness and many sherds have little or no glaze.
As it stands now, the kiln is partially excavated and sits neatly within the foundation walls of the stage area of the Memorial Hall. The excavated area includes the firebox and whole of the combustion chamber of the kiln and part of the stoking area. The flue structure is intact, along with the roof of the firebox and all or most of the kiln chamber floor. A few centimetres of the ware-chamber wall above are also present. Interestingly, there is a dividing wall within the structure that is not present on the drawings by Wheeler, and this means that the circular chamber has been split into two. There is hope of finding the second firebox on the other side of this dividing wall!
Find out more on the excellent write-up by David Dawson and Oliver Kent – HERE!
Follow the progress of the project HERE!
Newport Memorial Hall, West Street, Newport SA42 0TD
