archaeology at hanging heaton 2014archaeology at hanging heaton 2014 an education project in the...

ARCHAEOLOGY AT HANGING HEATON

2014 An education project in the grounds of Hanging Heaton CE (VC) J&I

School (West Yorkshire, UK)

Text and photographs by Dave Weldrake

ARCHAEOLOGY AT HANGING HEATON 2014 An education project in the grounds of Hanging Heaton CE (VC) J&I School (West

Yorkshire, UK)

Images and text © Dave Weldrake 2015

Website: http://daveweldrake.wordpress.com/

http://daveweldrake.wordpress.com/

ARCHAEOLOGY AT HANGING HEATON 2014

An education project in the grounds of Hanging Heaton CE (VC J&I School (West

Yorkshire, UK)

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Aims and Objectives

2.1 Archaeological

2.2 Educational

3.0 Location

4.0 Historical Background

5.0 Archaeological Background

6.0 Archaeological Results

7.0 The Finds

8.0 Discussion and Interpretation

9.0 Educational Outcomes

10.0 Potential for further work

11.0 Conclusions

12.0 References

Appendix 1 The images

A r c h a e o l o g y a t H a n g i n g H e a t o n 2 0 1 4 | 1

Dave Weldrake: Heritage Education http://daveweldrake.wordpress.com/

ARCHAEOLOGY AT HANGING HEATON 2014

An education project in the grounds of Hanging Heaton CE VC J&I School (West

Yorkshire, UK)

1.0 Introduction

The project was commissioned by S. Coney on behalf of Hanging Heaton CE (VC) J&I

School and took place during the week beginning on the 3rd

of November 2014. The project

was led by Dave Weldrake.

2.0 Aims and Objectives

The aims of the investigation were twofold:

2.1 Archaeological

To investigate the potential for archaeological survival within the school grounds

2.2 Educational

To provide children throughout the school with a basic understanding of the principles of

archaeology

3.0 Location

The site was located at SE 258 232.

4.0 Historical Background

Though the first mention of Hanging Heaton occurs in the Domesday Survey of 1086, the

settlement is arguably much older. The Heton element of the place name is derived from the

Anglo-Saxon and means ‘high farm’. The Hanging element of the place name seems to have

been added in the 13th

century (HGEPN n. d.) presumably to distinguish the settlement from

the nearby village of Earlsheaton. The two settlements were later amalgamated to from the

manor of Soothill (Faull and Moorhouse p. 510-11)

There is little that can be said about Hanging Heaton in the medieval and Tudor periods. A

deed of 1498 or 1490 mentions several messuages (parcels of land and any associated

buildings), a miln (a mill, probably a corn mill) and a spring wood or coppice (Brown 1909 p.

88). However the first 6 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey map of 1854 (accessed through the

National Library of Scotland map archive) shows rows of long thin fields both to the north

and south of the village. These probably represent the ‘fossilized’ remains of the medieval

open fields. These were ploughed in such a way as to create ridge and furrow and when the

land was enclosed ridges would be put together to make the long thin fields seem on the map.

There was no church at the time. The present St. Paul’s church was built in the early 19th

century and is one of the ‘million churches’ (so called because the government gave a grant

of a million pounds for their construction, not because there were a million of them) which

were erected to mark Wellington’s victory at the Battle of Waterloo. (Crabb n. d.). The only

building in Hanging Heaton which may date, at least in part, to the late medieval period is

Grove Farm which has timber framing dating to the 16th

century (WYAAS 1).

The 1854 O. S. map shows a cluster of small houses and farms, some of which still remain

today. There is little sign of industry except for a couple of fields marked as tenters (wooden

frames on which cloth was stretched after fulling to prevent it from shrinking (hence the




modern phrase ‘on tenterhooks’ – feeling stretched or strained) and the sandstone quarry in

which the school now stands. This has disappeared by 1895 when the next map was

published.

5.0 The Archaeological Background

A search of the West Yorkshire Heritage Environment Record (a database of all known

archaeological sites and find spots) via Heritage Gateway has revealed no archaeological

activity in the immediate area.

6.0 Archaeological results

A 6.0 x 1.0 metre trench was excavated by hand to a maximum depth of 20.0 cm. The

material removed consisted of a mixture of patches of clay, soil and gravel. These seemed to

have been dumped randomly with no consistent stratification across the site. No natural soil

layer was identified. (See Appendix 1: Image 1)

7.0 The finds Finds from the site were extremely numerous (Weldrake 2014a). These included the usual

19th

/20th

century pottery, fragments of clay pipe, vessel and window glass, a couple of 2

pence coins, marbles, a ceramic doorknob, and an oyster shell. Only selected examples are

discussed in detail below:

7.1 Pottery (See Appendix 1: Images 2- 4)

7.1.1 Whiteware. This form of pottery became popular in the 1830s when it began to replace the earlier pearl

and creamwares such as those made by the Leeds potteries. The fragments represent plates,

saucers and other table ware. The vessels are machine-made and mass-produced. Similar

vessels are in use today.

7.1.2 Transfer-glazed ware. Another 19

th/20

th century mass-produced machine-made product in which a complex pattern

is drawn out and glued to the surface of a plate or other vessel. This can then be sealed in

place by the glaze. The process enables the mass-production of complex designs at a

relatively low cost. The most popular design was the Willow Pattern, designed originally for

the Minton potteries in the late 1700s. However, cheap copies quickly became popular and

the characteristic blue and white design is easily distinguished even in the fragmentary form

on which it was found on site. (See image 2.) The European fascination with Oriental art

and design is also demonstrated by three sherds bearing a blue-and-white leaf-patterned

design (Weldrake 2014b). (See Image 3.)

7.1.3 Brown-glazed wares. The tradition of making hard-fired pots with a dark glaze goes back into at least the 1500s,

Moorhouse and Roberts 1992) though the fragments recovered from the site are likely to be

of a much later date. This is the case with the fragments of tea pot recovered from the site.

(See Image 4.)

7.1.4 Clay Tobacco Pipes (Appendix 1 Images 5 – 7)

11 sections of pipe stem were recovered and 6 fragments of bowl. Two of the bowls bear a

distinctive leaf pattern around the base with swags around the rim. Each has what are

probably the maker’s initials (ID) on either side. It has not been possible to identify the maker




but the factory may well be local as a similar bowl was brought in by one of the children as a

garden find (Appendix 1: Image 6) and a further example was found by a member of the

Leeds Young Archaeologists Club in a garden in Midfield. (LYAC 2015: I am indebted to

Louse Martin for drawing my attention to this).

8.0 Discussion and interpretation

Apart from what may have been recent surface losses the majority of the finds recovered

from the site were fragmentary in nature and seem not to be associated with any given

feature. This might suggest that they result from the infilling of the disused quarry in which

the school is situated. To be consistent with the map evidence this would suggest a late 19th

or early 20th

century date for the deposition of the finds.

9.0 Educational Outcomes (See front cover and Images 8)

The children from each year group responded enthusiastically to the tasks they were given

and worked steadily at each, their level of commitment being amply demonstrated on the

front cover and in Image 8. This made it easy for the children to learn and they will now have

a good understanding of how archaeology works and the kind of evidence which it produces.

10.0 Potential for further work The strictly archaeological potential for the school grounds would seem to be limited. If we

take the map evidence and the finds from the site together it seems unlikely that there are

buried structural remains in the area adjacent to the excavation.

In educational terms there is some the potential for further work. Whilst it is unlikely that a

trench excavated in another area of the school grounds would reveal any major buried

structures pre-dating the school, it seems likely that more finds would be recovered. Other

classes could therefore enjoy the experience which the children had in 2014.

11.0 Conclusions The archaeological project at Hanging Heaton has confirmed the value of practical

experience as a learning tool. It has given the children a basic understanding of the way

archaeology works and provided them with an experience about which they will talk for a

long time.




12.0 References

Brown, W. (Ed.) 1909

(reprinted

2013)

Yorkshire Deeds: Volume 1 Cambridge University Press

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YlHpGU3I7KIC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=Hyngyng+Heton&source=bl&ots=0fLsy_IkTT&sig=FcI9rFVpg392BetEmDq

c0foSNjg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=giEcVaLfEfKp7Aa62ICgDw&ved=0CCMQ6AEw

AA#v=onepage&q=Hyngyng%20Heton&f=false

Crabb, P. n. d. St Paul's Church History (Or how we came to be)

http://stpaulch.co.uk/HISTORY.php Last visited March 2015

HGEPN n. d. Hanging Heaton Historical Gazetteer of England’s Place Names

http://www.placenames.org.uk/browse/mads/epns-deep-31-c-mappedname-

002093 Last visited March 2015

Faull, M. L, and

Moorhouse, S. A. (Eds)

1981 West Yorkshire: An Archaeological Survey to A.D.

1500

West Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council

Faull, M. L. and Stinson,

M

1986 Domesday Book: Yorkshire

Phillimore, Chichester

Heritage Gateway n. d. http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/

Last visited March 2015

LYAC 2015 Leeds Young Archaeologists Club Facebook: 21

March 2015 https://www.facebook.com/yac.leeds/posts/408821229243008

Last visited July 2015

Moorhouse, S. A. and

Roberts, I. 1992 Wrenthorpe Potteries: Excavations of 16th and 17th-

century Potting Tenements Near Wakefield, 1983-86

West Yorkshire Archaeology Service

National Library of

Scotland

n.d. Ordnance Survey Maps - Six-inch England and

Wales, 1842-1952 http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-england-and-wales/

Last visited March 2015

Weldrake, D. 2014a Archaeology at hanging Heaton https://daveweldrake.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/archaeology-at-hanging-heaton/

Last visited April 2015 Weldrake, D. 2014b Archaeology at Hanging Heaton 2

https://daveweldrake.wordpress.com/2014/11/

Last visited April 2015


https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YlHpGU3I7KIC&pg=PA87&lpg=PA87&dq=Hyngyng+Heton&source=bl&ots=0fLsy_IkTT&sig=FcI9rFVpg392BetEmDqc0foSNjg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=giEcVaLfEfKp7Aa62ICgDw&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Hyngyng%20Heton&f=false




http://stpaulch.co.uk/HISTORY.php

http://www.placenames.org.uk/browse/mads/epns-deep-31-c-mappedname-002093

http://www.placenames.org.uk/browse/mads/epns-deep-31-c-mappedname-002093

http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/

https://www.facebook.com/yac.leeds/posts/408821229243008

http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-england-and-wales/

https://daveweldrake.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/archaeology-at-hanging-heaton/

https://daveweldrake.wordpress.com/2014/11/



Appendix 1: Images

Image 1: The site looking south The photograph gives a good impression of the kind of material removed from the site, a

mixture of dumped soil, clays and gravel with fragments of sandstone. A 1.0 metre ranging

rod has been used as a scale.




Image 2: Transfer-glazed ware This small fragment of transfer-glazed ware bears the distinctive pattern of the border of the

willow pattern plate, though it is probably of no great antiquity. 5.0 centimetre scale.




Image 3: Three sherds from the same pot A further example of transfer-glazed ware, probably early 20

th century. When considered in

conjunction with the sherd illustrated in Image 2, these fragments demonstrate the continuing

European interest in Oriental art and design. 5.0 cm scale.




Image 4: Brown-glazed teapot The brown glaze of this teapot is typical of many early 20

th century specimens. However the

intricate leaf pattern suggests that it may have been conceived of as special occasion

tableware, rather than everyday domestic pottery. 5.0 cm scale.




Image 5: Fragments of clay tobacco pipe recovered from the excavation

5.0 cm scale




Image 6: Two fragments of clay tobacco pipe bowl

The example on the left clearly shows the D of the maker’s mark.

5.0 cm scale.




Image 7: Bowl of clay tobacco pipe brought in as garden find

This pipe bowl was brought in by a pupil as a garden find. It has the same design as a least

one of the bowls recovered from the excavation. This would suggest a fairly local origin for

both items.




Image 8; Working on a simulated excavation

These children are carrying out a simulated excavation where ‘finds’ have been buried in

sterile cat litter. This helps prepare the children for the real task outdoors.


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