ashted archaeological report

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION

AT THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY PARK,

EASTSIDE,

BIRMINGHAM

(BIES 07)

Work Undertaken For Wardell Armstrong LLP

on behalf of Birmingham City Council

January 2008

Report Compiled by Mark Peachey BA (Hons)

National Grid Reference: SP 078870 OASIS Record No: archaeol1-36373

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT SERVICES

A.P.S. Report No. 2/08

Archaeological Project Services

CONTENTS List of Figures List of Plates

1. SUMMARY.............................................................................................................. 1

2. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1

2.1 PLANNING BACKGROUND ...................................................................................... 1 2.2 TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY................................................................................ 1 2.3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SETTING ................................................................................. 1

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES...................................................................................... 3

4. METHODS............................................................................................................... 3

5. RESULTS................................................................................................................. 4

6. POST-EXCAVATION TASK LIST AND PROGRAMME................................... 7

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................... 7

8. PERSONNEL........................................................................................................... 7

9. BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................... 8

10. ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. 8

Appendices 1 Specification for archaeological evaluation 2 Context Descriptions 3 The Finds by Dr Anne Boyle, Paul Cope-Faulkner, Rachael Hall and Gary Taylor

4 Post-medieval and early modern pottery archive by Gary Taylor and Dr. Anne Boyle

5 An evaluation of the charred plant macrofossils and other remains by Val Fryer

6 Glossary 7 The Archive


List of Figures Figure 1 General location plan Figure 2 Site location plan Figure 3 Trench location plan Figure 4 Belmont Glassworks site plan Figure 5 Belmont Row Glassworks site plan Figure 6 Plan of cone [100] Figure 7 Ashted Pumping Station site plan Figure 8 Elevation of wall [054] and wall footings [055] and [056] Figure 9 Elevation of cone wall [145] Figure 10 Ashted Pumping Station profile Figure 11 Elevations of condenser tank

List of Plates Plate 1 Walls [042], [046], [048] looking east, Belmont Glassworks Plate 2 Wall [054] looking SW, Belmont Glassworks Plate 3 General view of Cone [100] looking NW, Belmont Row Glassworks Plate 4 General view of Ashted Pumping Station looking west. Plate 5 Wall [308] (Elevation 20) of condenser tank [301], Ashted Pumping Station Plate 6 Pump shaft [304] and culvert [305] looking NW, Ashted Pumping Station Plate 7 Water shute [322] looking NE, Ashted Pumping Station

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS ON LAND AT EASTSIDE, BIRMINGHAM, WEST MIDLANDS

1 Archaeological Project Services

1. SUMMARY An archaeological excavation was

undertaken on land at the proposed

Technology Park, Eastside, Birmingham in

order to record any remains of the

Belmont and Belmont Row Glassworks

and to inform on the design of the new

development around the Ashted Pumping

Station.

The excavation identified remains of both

glassworks and established the extent of

the pumping station.

Finds included fragments of glassmaking

crucibles, pottery and bricks. In addition

to evidence of glassmaking there were

indications of pottery manufacture and

possible metal working.

2. INTRODUCTION

2.1 Planning Background Archaeological Project Services was commissioned by Wardell Armstrong Engineering and Environmental Solutions on behalf of Birmingham City Council to undertake a programme of archaeological excavation in advance of proposed development at the proposed Technology Park, Eastside, Birmingham. This was subsequent to a programme of archaeological evaluation carried out by University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) earlier in 2007. The excavation was undertaken between 24th September and 9th November 2007 in accordance with a specification prepared by Wardell Armstrong (Appendix 1) and approved by the Birmingham City Planning Archaeologist.

2.2 Topography and Geology

Birmingham is the main city of West Midlands Metropolitan County (Fig. 1).

The site lies 1km northeast of Birmingham town centre on level wasteground at c115m OD (Fig. 2). Located alongside the Digbeth Branch Canal. The investigation sites lie south of the junction of Jennens Road and Lawley Street Middleway, to the northeast of Belmont Row, at National Grid Reference SP 078 870 (Fig. 3). Local geology is sand.

2.3 Archaeological Setting

Belmont and Belmont Row Glassworks

Medieval glass production was based in woodland areas, such as the Weald of Kent and Sussex but the transition to coal during the 17th century resulted in the gradual relocation of the industry to coalfield areas. The use of coal led to changes in the form of the furnace, with the fire directly below the crucibles and draught provided by underground flues. Sometime in the 18th century the furnace was covered by a cone. These cones were unstable and many collapsed (Palmer and Neaverson 1998). They were gradually abandoned during the second quarter of the 19th century in favour of a more conventional type of glasshouse building with a central chimney for the furnace, though many continued in use.

The glass-making industry became an established trade of Birmingham at the end of the 18

th century in response to the

development of the canal system which made the transport of raw materials easier and less expensive. Glassworks were sited close to canals for this reason. Mayer Oppenheim established the first documented glasshouse in Birmingham on Snow Hill in 1757 and by the middle of the following century flint glassmaking was largely concentrated in Stourbridge and Birmingham. Between the late 1840s and the late 1870s the flint glass trade flourished, stimulated



by the final repeal of the excise duty on glass in 1845 and the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace. However, from the 1860s foreign glass began to have an impact on the English trade and by 1880 the golden age of flint glass making was over. The Belmont Glassworks (SMR no. 20500-MBM2149) was founded by Thomas Harris by 1804 along with a smaller establishment in Fazeley Street which closed in 1810. The firm continued under the names of Harris, Smart and Co. and then Thomas Harris and Rice Harris until 1814. Rice Harris was then replaced by John Harris until 1819 when the firm became Harris, Gammon and Co. Later the firm became William Gammon and Co. It seems, from the local Poor Rate Books, to have closed between 1896 and 1901. Two circular structures, probably glass cones, can be seen on the Pigott Smith map of 1850-55.

Little is known about the Belmont Row Glassworks (SMR 20503-MBM2152) although it is probably that referred to in a directory of 1808 as ‘William Hodgson, glass manufacturer, Great Brook Street’ (now Jennens Road). In Aris’s Gazette of July 1806 the China, glass and earthenware manufactory of Madeley, Hodgson and Co had advertised for a glass cutter. The works is on a map by Pigott Smith of 1824-5 but had disappeared by the 1889 OS map. As with the Belmont Glassworks, the 1850-55 Pigott Smith map shows two circular structures, probably glass cones (Cook 2001). The glass cone served two purposes. It acted as a giant chimney for the furnace, drawing the air through underground tunnels to enable the furnace to reach the temperatures needed to melt the glass. It also acted as the working space for the glassmakers who operated in teams of four

known as the chair. The glass furnace occupied the centre of the cone. It was circular and held between ten and a dozen individual melting pots which stood in a ring inside the furnace with their openings facing outwards. The pots were made from fireclay capable of withstanding the high temperature inside the furnace. The batch, or raw materials (silica, lead oxide and potassium oxide), was shovelled into the pots. Cullet, or broken glass, was added to help bring down the melting temperature. The furnace was then brought up to about 1400˚C and held at this temperature for around 30 hours to allow the glass to fuse. The temperature was then reduced to about 1200˚C, at which point the glass was like honey in consistency and could be gathered out of the melting pot on the end of the blowing iron. The furnace was never allowed to go out, some running for thirty years before rebuilding (Red House Glass Cone guidebook).

Ashted Pumping Station

The Digbeth Branch Canal was opened in 1799 by the Birmingham Canal Navigations Company to link their system southwards to the industries of Digbeth, a lower-lying area. It was found that the flight of locks on the canal lost water especially after the Warwick and Birmingham Canal joined it near its terminus. Therefore the company decided to build a pumping station at Ashted to keep their water in the system (Broadbridge 1974). The pumping station (SMR no. 20646-MBM2300) recirculated water up the flight of six locks on the Digbeth Branch Canal. It pumped from a well connected to the Bottom Pound and water was delivered along a covered leat into the Hospital Pound. The plant was commissioned in 1812 and comprised a Boulton and Watt



single-acting, equal beam steam engine with parallel motion on both ends of the iron beam. The cylinder had a 36 inch bore with a 7 foot stroke and was rated at 24.1 hp at 10 strokes per minute. Latterly it had two Lancashire-type boilers while the pump had a 7 foot stroke, the type and bore being unrecorded. The plant operated for 110 years until January 1922 and stood idle until sold to Henry Ford after his visit to Birmingham in 1928. An agreement was reached for Ford to provide a replacement oil engine which was installed at Titford. It was taken to his museum at Greenfield Village, Dearborn, near Detroit, Michigan, USA where it remains as a non-working exhibit. The engine house was demolished in 1930 and the boilers and remaining pipework sold for scrap (Weaver 1970, 1986). The Ashted steam engine was of a type known as the atmospheric engine as opposed to the later, and more compact, high pressure steam engine used in, among other things, the railway locomotive. Its power came from the creation of a vacuum by condensing steam. This allowed the piston to be forced down at atmospheric pressure thereby raising the pump plunger on the other end of the beam. The Ashted engine employed the separate condenser invented by James Watt (1736-1819) by 1765 and granted a patent in 1769. This was an improvement on the earlier beam engines of Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729) in which cold water was sprayed into the cylinder, condensing the steam within it to create the necessary vacuum. This required the wasteful continuous reheating of the cylinder which the Watt system rendered unnecessary. The separate condenser was a cast iron box which could be kept cold in a tank of water. An extra valve was located at the bottom end of the cylinder so that exhausted steam entered the condenser. A small pump kept the condenser from filling up, removing both

water and air (Crowley 1976). Another improvement on the Newcomen design was the enclosing of the upper end of the cylinder while the ‘straight-line linkage’ for the piston rod was an improvement on Watt’s own designs (Dearborn Catalogue nd).

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The overall aim of the excavation was to provide a permanent record of the remains of the glassworks prior to development and to inform on options for preservation in

situ of the Ashted Pumping Station. In addition, the aim was to disseminate the results of the excavation through an appropriate level of publication subsequent to post-excavation analysis and assessment. These aims were to be achieved through open excavation in those parts of the site where the evaluation established the presence of buried remains. It was anticipated that the excavation would reveal a variety of archaeological remains, primarily of an industrial nature. In particular, it was expected that excavation commensurate with the full extent of the Ashted Pumping Station would expose well-preserved external and internal structural elements which would provide information on the development of the pumping station and the way it functioned. It was also expected that remains associated with the Belmont and Belmont Row Glassworks would provide evidence of the 19th century glassmaking processes carried out there.

4. METHODS Removal of topsoil and other overburden at the three sites was undertaken by mechanical excavator using a toothless ditching bucket. The exposed surfaces of the trenches were then cleaned by hand



and inspected for archaeological remains. Each deposit exposed during the evaluation was allocated a unique reference number (context number) with an individual written description. A list of all contexts and their interpretations appears as Appendix 2. A photographic record was also compiled and sections/elevations and plans were drawn at a scale of 1:10 and 1:20 respectively. Recording of deposits encountered was undertaken according to standard Archaeological Project Services practice. The location of the excavated trenches was surveyed with a Thales Z-max differential GPS.

Following excavation, finds were examined and a period date assigned where possible (Appendix 3). The records were also checked and a stratigraphic matrix produced. Phasing was based on the nature of the deposits and recognisable relationships between them supplemented by artefact dating. 5. RESULTS (Figs 4 and 5)

The results of the archaeological excavation are discussed in site order. Archaeological contexts are described below. The numbers in brackets are the context numbers assigned in the field. Belmont Glassworks (Fig 4) The first area to be excavated was that of the former Belmont Glassworks. Much of this area was reported to have been ‘grubbed out’ during remediation work in 1988 and this had been confirmed by the ULAS trenching evaluation. This was reaffirmed, with loose brick and concrete rubble having been used for backfilling. However, two areas of glassworks structures were revealed at the northeast and southwest ends of the site separated by

a zone of ‘grubbing out’. In the northeast of the area northwest to southeast aligned brick wall [049] measured 4.8m long by 0.5m wide and up to 0.65m deep. Running parallel 3.5m to the southwest (the pair running either side of ULAS evaluation trench) was wall [054] (Fig 8, Plate 2) which was 3.02m long by 0.22m wide and 0.57m deep. The surviving wall consisted largely of a brick arch and the beginnings of another one at its southeastern limit, together with substantial footings. The arches were probably supporting arches to strengthen the since-demolished superstructure (Mike Hodder pers. comm.), rather than a form of entrance or ventilation. These walls appear from the 1889 map to be internal walls to the glassworks. The other area of probable glassworks to survive was found at a lower level in an exploratory trench excavated through the grubbing out rubble backfill (Plate 1). Wall [042] measured 3.5m long by 0.35m wide by 0.39m in depth. It butted onto a sloping section of wall [048] measuring 1.3m long by 0.5m wide and 0.8m deep which had been broken through by the grubbing out. Up against these walls was a layer of dark grey clinker material (043) found in environmental analysis (sample 1) to contain small fragments of coal and green glass. This overlay a layer of redeposited sand (045) filling the gap between wall [042] and separate wall footing [046] which was 1m long by 0.6m wide by 0.15m deep. Overlaying the 1889 OS map onto the site plan shows this footing in the right place to be a surviving block of the large cone outer wall footing while sloping wall [048] may by the surviving part of a flue into the smaller cone. Wall [042] could have been a passage wall leading down to this flue and retaining the natural sand behind it. However, all in all the Belmont Glassworks seems to have been largely



destroyed by late Victorian demolition and 1980s ‘grubbing out’. In the initial machining for the trench, two parallel brick walls aligned northwest to southeast [008] and [032] were revealed either side of a brick floor [035] in the southwest corner (Fig 4). This may have been a remnant of later buildings shown on the 1931 OS map. This later date than the probable glassworks buildings is also suggested by the well-faced walls in English Garden Wall bond which included blue bullnose bricks. Rubble overburden (030) contained unglazed vessels which may indicate pottery manufacture within the vicinity of the site (Appendix 3). Belmont Row Glassworks (Fig 5) The next area to be excavated was that of the former Belmont Row Glassworks on the west side of the Ashted Tunnel. Beginning at the north end, machining of this site initially revealed limited remains, as had been the case in the ULAS evaluation. Surviving features consisted of the occasional brick wall or floor remnant that had survived the 1988 grubbing out, the rubble from the backfill directly overlying natural sand. However, towards the south end, at a deeper level than the ULAS trenches, a curved length of brick wall was revealed. On completion of stripping about two thirds of a circular brick structure was exposed with some later walls overlying it close to the site baulk. As with the Belmont Glassworks, the site plan was compared with a 19th century map, in this case Pigott-Smith’s map of 1850-55 (Cook 2001). Two circular structures, probably glass cones are marked on the map. While one lay outside the area of excavation, and largely under Jennens Road, no trace of the other was discovered. However, a probable cone

[100] (Fig 6, Plate 3) was discovered centered 15m to the south. This was cut into the natural sand (121) with only the bottom 0.65-1m of the footings surviving. The footings were divided into four segments, the gap between [145] (Fig 9) and [146] clearly being original and probably the base of a strengthening arch. The other two gaps had probably been widened by ‘grubbing out’: on the north side of the gap between [146] and [147] and on both sides between [120] and [147]. Partly because of ‘grubbing out’, a construction trench [201] for the cone wall was only apparent on the inside of the northern wall segment [120]. This was 0.6m deep and 0.45m wide. The cone was about 11m in diameter with the footing 0.7m wide and tilting very slightly inwards. It was built of red brick in English Bond. An area of later stratigraphy survived the ‘grubbing out’ within the cone and adjacent to the western edge of the excavation. Following removal of a few obvious further patches of ‘grubbing out’ rubble, it was decided to excavate two slots into this block to see if any internal structure of the cone survived. Many layers and lenses of sand, clay and clinker were recorded but could all be interpreted as levelling deposits laid over the cone area in order to construct other buildings although a small pit [204] filled with rubbly deposits cut through these layers on the south side near the baulk. One of the layers (149) contained unglazed sherds which may indicate pottery production on the site as suggested by the title of the firm in the 1806 Aris’s Gazette advert (Cook 2001). On top of these layers a number of wall footings were recorded matching the rectangular buildings marked on Pigott-Smith’s map: [133], [134], [143] and [144] while small rectangular structure [139]



was on the same alignment and was probably the base of a manhole or similar feature relating to drainage. Very small wall remnant [151] was also almost in alignment and both this and [144] were actually built directly on the reduced cone walls. Brick floor [203] and floor [132] overlying it survived within the corner of walls [144] and [134], appearing from the map to be the corner of a yard area. A small rectangle of brick [135], possibly a post pad, and a short length of damaged brick drain [136] which contained industrial residue (sample 2) were also revealed within this area. Wall remnant [101] slightly to the north, may have been a later wall, or one recently demolished at the time of mapping. It seems that the sections of floors and walls found in the northern part of the area: [194], [129], [130] and [127] (Fig 5) were remnants of later buildings, possibly even the 20th century bakery, as they do not match walls on the Pigott-Smith map. Ashted Pumping Station (Figs 7, 10)

The ULAS evaluation had identified a substantial brick wall, a limestone block and part of a circular brick structure on the site of the pumping station. Machining was begun at the north end, revealing the walls of the pumping station at a very shallow level. On the old OS map the pumping station is about 20m in length but the southernmost 7m was found to have been ‘grubbed out’. This had clearly been done by a large mechanical excavator in the recent past with the backfill containing concrete paving slabs, aluminium drinks cans and brown plastic cups. This work was probably done preparatory to the construction of the recently demolished very modern building, the concrete foundations of which remained in situ.

Following machining, including the emptying out of a deep rectangular room, the structure was cleaned by hand. Features identified within the overall structure included a culvert [305], pump shaft [304] (Plate 6), beam support base [319], condenser tank (the deep room) [301] (Fig 11, Plate 5), cylinder base wall [334] and a shute [322] (Plate 7). The area that had been destroyed was probably a boiler room for the two Lancashire boilers (see above). Culvert [305] was formed of brick side walls and a brick floor and was at least 1.5m long, 1.6m wide and 0.6m high and aligned northwest-southeast. Water from the pump shaft would have been sent along it to the Hospital Pound for the locks north of Ashted Tunnel. The pump shaft [304] was of red brick in English Bond. It was 2.74m in diameter and was excavated to a depth of 1.1m. It would have been a lot deeper than this in order to pump water up from the Bottom Pound. It had been filled with rubble and scrap, probably in the early 1930s after demolition. An iron pipe connected the pump shaft to the top of the condenser tank [301] (Fig 11). This brick-sided tank was slightly off square, two sides being 2.5m wide, one 2.62m and one 2.7m. The iron pipe ran in a brick-sided passage overlain by a sandstone slab and then under the sandstone base for the beam support and through the southeast facing wall [307]. A large flanged iron pipe (313) also protruded through this wall and there was a sandstone collar [319] which probably held another pipe. In the southwest-facing wall [308] (Plate 5) of the tank another pipe (316) protruded through two sandstone collar blocks [314] and [315]. Iron pipe (311) protruded through a low brick supporting wall [312] butting northwest-facing wall [309]. Unlike the others this pipe had been blocked off. Only the northeast-facing wall [310] was free of pipes. The condenser tank had also probably been backfilled in



the early 1930s with rubble including ironwork. Two shafts [335] and [336] north and south of the condenser tank may have been outlets for since-removed pipes. Immediately southeast of the condenser tank was a 3m wide block of brickwork [334] which would have formed the base for the cylinder. This had been damaged on its north half by the siting of a concrete plinth for the recently demolished modern building and on its south side by the ‘grubbing out’. Immediately southeast of this wall was a brick shute curving downwards towards the canal towpath. Just before the point where the pumping station had been ‘grubbed out’ were two metal slots on either side of the shute. These appeared to have once held a small sluice gate. The interpretation is that the shute was a waste water outflow from the boiler room. The small area of brick floor adjacent to the shute was all that remained of this. There was another small rectangular shaft [324] filled with sooty material opposite the top end of the shute and adjacent to outer wall [329]. Running immediately adjacent to this outer wall was iron pipe [331]. This was broken through by ‘grubbing out’ at the same point as the remainder of the building and had a connection probably leading to pipe [316] in the condenser tank. Part of the outer wall [341] of the pumping station adjacent to the canal was also recorded. This was 1.9m wide and 1.9m high and in English bond. At right angles to the above was a short section of wall [342] which probably formed part of the old passage down to the canal.

6. POST-EXCAVATION TASK

LIST AND PROGRAMME

• Analysis and interpretation of the structural evidence from the excavations: Mark Peachey

• Comparison with similar sites

elsewhere: Mark Peachey

• Comparison of the forms and fabrics of the crucibles with those from other glasswork sites: Anne Boyle

• Analysis of the residues in the crucibles: Bradford University (provisional)

• Analysis of the other residues samples on the two glassworks sites: Val Fryer

• Any other finds work: Anne Boyle, Gary Taylor

• Further documentary research on all three sites and their local and regional context: Mark Peachey

• Further consultation with David Crossley and Jim Andrew on the interpretation of the sites

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Archaeological Project Services wish to acknowledge the assistance of Birmingham City Council for commissioning the fieldwork and post-excavation analysis and of Helen Martin-Bacon of Wardell Armstrong. Informative visits were made by David Crossley and Jim Andrew. The work was coordinated by Mark Williams and Gary Taylor who edited this report along with Tom Lane.

8. PERSONNEL Project Coordinator: Mark Williams (fieldwork), Gary Taylor (post-excavation) Site Supervisor: Mark Peachey Site Team: Simon Birnie, Milena Grzybowska, Christopher Killeen, Marek Lemiesz, Slawomir Szyszka Surveying: Rachael Hall, Mary Nugent Finds Processing: Denise Buckley Photographic reproduction: Sue Unsworth Illustration: Mark Peachey, Sue Unsworth Post-excavation Analyst: Mark Peachey



9. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Broadbridge, S. R, 1974 The Birmingham

Canal Navigations Vol 1 Cook, M., 2001 Desk-based assessment

and survey of land and standing structures

on the site of the former Belmont

Glassworks and Ashted Pumping Station,

Birmingham Independent Report Crowley, T.E., 1976 Beam Engines Shire Publications, Album 15 Dearborn Catalogue, Henry Ford Museum, Detroit, USA IFA, 1999, Standard and Guidance for

Archaeological Excavations.

Palmer, N., and Neaverson, P., 1998 Industrial Archaeology. Principles and

Practice Routledge Red House Glass Cone guidebook nd. Weaver, P., 1970 Railway and Canal

Historical Society Journal, July 1970 p59 Weaver, P., 1986 Railway and Canal

Historical Society Journal, March 1986 p291

10. ABBREVIATIONS

APS Archaeological Project Services IFA Institute of Field Archaeologists OS Ordnance Survey

ULAS University of Leicester Archaeological Services

100km

0 20 Km

Figure 1 - General location plan

Worcestershire Warwickshire

Staffordshire

Birmingham

SolihullCoventry

Dudley

Sandwell

Walsall

LeicsShropshire

Wolves

Derbyshire

Figure 2. Site Location Plan

Project Name: Birmingham Eastside BIES07

Report No: 2/08Drawn by:MJPScale 1:50000


N

2km0

SP 08

87

maps with the permission of

The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery

Office, Crown Copyright

HTL LTD Licence No AL5041A0001

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey

Area shown on Fig 3

Lock

Figure 3. Trench location plan

Project Name:Birmingham Eastside BIES07

Report No: 2/08Drawn by:SU/MJPScale 1:500


N

25m0

Jenn

ens Roa

d

Digbeth B

ranch Canal

Lawley S

treet Middlew

ay

FootpathC

anal towpath

Ashted Pumping Station

Belmont Glassworks

Belmont Row Glassworks

Belmont Row

[035][032]

[033]

[034]

[008]

(031)

[049]

[060][054]

[046]

[042]

[048][044]

[040]

Figure 4. Belmont Glassworks site plan




N

7.5m0

Outline of glassworks buildings on 1889 OS map

KEY

Fig 8

[132]

[134]

[135]

[101]

[194]

[130]

[129]

[127]

Figure 5. Belmont Row Glassworks site plan




N

7.5m0

[142][144]

Outline of glassworks buildings on Pigott Smith

KEY

1850-55 map (adjusted 1.5m south: fits walls over cone)

[136]

[133]

[147]

[120]

[145]

[143]

[146]

[140]

[139]

[141]

[151]

[202](201)

[132]

[134]

[135]

[101]

Figure 6. Plan of cone [100]




N

2m0

Overlay to paved area

[203]

(see right)

[136]

[133]

[144]

[142]

(122)

Lim

it of e

xcavatio

n

[122]

[121]

[121]

Fig 9

[147]

(121)

[120]

(121)

(121)

[145]

(143)

[146]

(122)(121)

[140]

[139]

[141]

[151]

[202](201)

Figure 7. Ashted Pumping Station plan




N

5m0

Footpath

Canal tow

path

Modern paving

Modern w

all

[303]

[306]

[329]

[334][335]

[335]

[301]

[307] [308]

[309]

[310]

[305]

[304]

[319]

[324]

[331]

[331]

[326]

[322]

[321]

[323]

[320]

[346]

[345]

[330]

Digbeth B

ranch Canal

Concrete block

Fig 10

Fig 11




0 1m

Figure 8. Elevation of wall [054] and wall footings [055] and [056].

[054]

(057)

(058)

(059)

[056]

[055]

113.89m OD

Figure 9. End elevation of cone wall [145]


Report No: 2/08Drawn by:MJPScale 1: 10


0.5m0

121

SE NW

115.10m OD

[145]


Report No: 2/08Drawn by: MJPScale 1:75

Archaeological Project Services0 5m

Fig 10. Ashted Pumping Station Profile

[301]

[307] [309]

[334] [323]

[320]

[305]

[304]

[340]

[318]

114.27m OD

Pump ShaftCondenser Tank

Culvert

Cylinder Base

NWSE


Report No: 2/08Drawn by: SUScale 1:40

Archaeological Project Services0 2m

Figure 11. Elevations of condenser tank

[307]

[319]

(313)Pipe Flange

Bolt Hole Bolt

Pipehole[319]

Pipehole

SW

[308]

(313)

Pipe

BoltPipe Flange

(316)

[314]

[315]

[310]

[309]

[312]

(311)

NE

NE

SWSE

NW

NW

SE

Elev 20

Elev 21 Elev 22

Elev 19

recess

113.70m OD

113.70m OD

113.70m OD

113.70m OD

Plate 1 Walls [042], [046], [048] looking east, Belmont Glassworks

Plate 2 Wall [054] looking SW, Belmont Glassworks

Plate 3 General view of Cone [100] looking NW, Belmont Row Glassworks

Plate 4 General view of Ashted Pumping Station looking west.

Plate 5 Wall [308] (Elevation 20) of condenser pit [301], Ashted Pumping Station

Plate 6 Pump shaft [304] and culvert [305] looking NW, Ashted Pumping Station

Plate 7 Water shute [322] looking NE, Ashted Pumping Station

Appendix 1:

Specification for Archaeological Excavation of

The Ashted Pumping Station (SMR 20646),

Belmont Glassworks (SMR 20500) and

Belmont Row Glassworks (SMR 20503)


Appendix 2

CONTEXT SUMMARY

Context Area Description Interpretation Date

001 BG Friable mid brown silt with brick rubble 0.52m thick Topsoil

002 BG Firm mid brown red clay 0.34m thick Levelling

003 BG Soft mid grey clayey silt 0.53m thick Levelling

004 BG Soft mid brownish red crushed brick Demolition

005 BG Firm mid brownish red clayey silt 0.16m thick Demolition

006 BG Loose black charcoal with brick fragments 0.08m thick Demolition

007 BG Friable dark brownish red clayey silt with brick 0.33m thick Demolition

008 BG Red brick wall 2.45m long x 1.49m high x 0.56m wide Passageway wall

009 BG Demolition cut Cut

010 BG Black charcoal/silt with brick rubble 0.5m thick Levelling

011 BG Loose black silt with bricks 0.07m thick Levelling

012 BG Friable mid greyish brown silt 0.18m thick Levelling

013 BG Friable black charcoal/silt with brick rubble 0.12m thick Levelling

014 BG Friable mid greyish brown silt/rubble 0.1m thick Levelling

015 BG Rectangular cut 1.16m wide x 0.5m deep Construction cut

016 BG Friable dark brown silt 0.59m thick Fill of [015]

017 BG Firm dark brown loamy silt with brick frags 0.21m thick Dumped deposit

018 BG Loose black charcoal/silt 0.12m thick Dumped deposit

019 BG Cemented dark grey clayey silt 0.1m thick Levelling

020 BG Loose mid reddish brown silt/rubble 0.23m thick Levelling

021 BG Friable light brownish red mortar 0.09m thick Levelling

022 BG Firm dark brown silt 0.19m thick Levelling

023 BG Cemented dark grey silt 0.05m thick Levelling

024 BG Friable mid red sand 0.1m thick Demolition

025 BG Friable mid brown silt 0.2m thick Levelling

026 BG Friable mottled brown/yellow/grey loamy silt 0.22m thick Levelling

028 BG Loose black/dark brownish grey slag and silt 0.15m thick Dumped deposit

029 BG Vertical sided cut for wall [008] Construction cut

030 BG Finds from general loose rubble overburden Finds

031 BG Wooden object 1.33m long x 0.61m wide Tray

032 BG Red brick wall 1.73m long x 1.53m high Passageway wall

033 BG Wall 0.87m long x 1.6m high Brick wall

034 BG Brick wall 1.4m long x 1.82m high x 0.23m wide Blocked doorway

035 BG Red brick surface 2.47m long x 1.72m wide Passageway floor

036 BG Loose black silt, frequent slag 0.39m thick Dumped deposit

037 BG Loose mid reddish brown brick rubble 1.21m thick Rubble backfill

038 BG Red brick feature 1.65m long x 0.32m wide x 0.58m high Brick step

039 BG Friable dark orangey red sand Levelling

040 BG Red brick surface 1.8m long x 12m wide x 0.08m deep Brick floor

041 BG Friable dark brown silt with brick rubble Demolition

042 BG Brick wall 3.5m long x 0.35m wide x 0.39m deep Brick wall

043 BG Firm v. dark grey clinker 0.18m thick Cone waste

044 BG Brick surface remnant 0.5m x 0.3m Brick floor

045 BG Loose mid yellowish brown sand 0.33m thick Redeposited sand

046 BG Red brick wall 1m long x 0.6m wide x 0.15m deep Wall footing

047 BG Loose dark yellow sand Natural

048 BG Sloping brickwork 1.3m+ long x 0.5m wide x 0.8m deep Brick wall

049 BG Red brick wall 4.8m long x 0.5m wide x 0.65m deep Brick wall

050 BG Friable grey/brown clayey silt 0.3m thick Levelling

051 BG Loose mid to dark grey ash/charcoal 0.3m thick Dumped deposit

052 BG Friable dark greyish brown sandy silt 0.15m thick Rough surface

053 BG Friable mid yellowish greyish brown sandy silt 0.2m thick Rough surface

054 BG Brick wall with 2 arches 3.02m long x 0.12m wide x 0.57m

high Supporting wall

055 BG Brick footing 0.73m long x 0.68m high Wall footing

056 BG Brick footing 1.52m long x 0.52m high Wall footing

057 BG Firm striped yellow/brown/grey sand 0.45m thick Layer

058 BG Soft mid reddish brown clay 0.53m thick Layer

059 BG Firm mid brownish grey sand 0.37m thick Layer

060 BG Red brick wall 0.8m long x 0.24m wide x 0.19m deep Brick wall



100 BRG Red brick roughly circular wall 11m diameter, 0.81m wide.

English bond.

Glass cone group

number

101 BRG Red brick wall 0.94m long x 0.34m wide x 0.31m high Brick wall

102 BRG Loose dark brownish grey clayey sand/rubble 0.75m thick Rubble backfill

103 BRG Friable light brown clayey sand 0.33m thick Dumped deposit

104 BRG Soft dark greyish brown clay 0.46m thick Dumped deposit

105 BRG Soft light red clay with red bricks 0.24m thick Dumped deposit

106 BRG Loose yellow/orange clayey sand 0.05m thick Dumped deposit

107 BRG Soft light brownish grey clay 0.19m thick Dumped deposit

108 BRG Friable dark brownish grey clayey sand 0.33m thick Dumped deposit

109 BRG Soft reddish clay 0.19m thick Dumped deposit


111 BRG Soft orange sandy clay 0.35m thick Dumped deposit

112 BRG Soft brownish orange clayey sand 0.31m thick Dumped deposit

113 BRG Loose dark grey mottled orange silt 0.26m thick Dumped deposit

114 BRG Soft orange clay with bricks 0.42m thick Dumped deposit

115 BRG Loose light brownish yellow sand 0.4m thick Dumped deposit

116 BRG Loose light brownish grey sand 0.31m thick Dumped deposit


118 BRG Loose dark grey silty sand 0.21m thick Dumped deposit


120 BRG Curvilinear red brick wall 4.45m long x 0.59m wide x

0.95m high Part of [100]

121 BRG Firm greyish orange sand Natural?

122 BRG Loose dark grey sandy silt with brick rubble, cans etc Rubble backfill

123 BRG Loose mid brown sand 0.47m thick Dumped deposit

124 BRG Loose light brown greyish sand 0.2m thick Dumped deposit

125 BRG Loose dark grey sand 0.2m thick Dumped deposit

126 BRG Loose mid brownish yellow sand Dumped deposit

127 BRG Red brick wall 1.02m long x 0.23m wide x 0.21m high Brick wall remnant

128 BRG Firm greyish brown silty clay 0.2m thick Layer


130 BRG Red brick floor 1.5m x 1.78m Brick floor

131 BRG Soft reddish brown clay 0.07m thick Floor makeup level

132 BRG Red /yellow brick surface 1.4m x 0.89m Brick floor


134 BRG Red brick wall 2.12m long x 0.45m wide Brick wall

135 BRG Red brick footing 0.62m x 0.47m Brick footing

136 BRG Red/yellow brick feature 0.76m x 0.3m Brick gulley

137 BRG Very loose mid to dark green silty sand 0.04m thick Fill of [136]

138 BRG Damaged red brick footing 0.44m wide Brick footing

139 BRG Rectangular brick structure 1.97m long x 1.22m wide Inspection chamber

140 BRG Cement within [139] 1.5m x 1m Floor of [139]

141 BRG Rectangular yellow brick feature 0.3m x 0.3m Post pad?

142 BRG Rectangular blue brick feature 0.68m x 0.7m Bakery plinth?


144 BRG Red brick wall 1.6m long x 0.48m deep x 0.35m wide Brick wall

145 BRG Curvilinear brick wall 5m long x 0.81m wide x 0.65m high Part of [100]

146 BRG Curvilinear brick wall 3.52m long x 0.57m wide x 0.5m

high Part of [100]

147 BRG Curvilinear brick wall 2.04m long x 0.73m wide x 0.47m

high Part of [100]

148 BRG Fairly loose greyish black clinker up to 0.1m thick Dumped deposit

149 BRG Fairly compacted crushed red brick and lime mortar up to

0.28m thick Dumped deposit

150 BRG Friable dark greyish brown clayey sand Fill of [204]

151 BRG Red brick wall remnant 0.5m x 0.45m x 0.27m Brick wall

152 BRG Soft dark greyish brown clay 0.3m thick Levelling

153 BRG Soft dark grey sandy charcoal 0.06m thick Dumped deposit

154 BRG Loose light brown sandy clay 0.2m thick Dumped deposit

155 BRG Dark greyish brown clayey sand 0.16m thick Dumped deposit

156 BRG Soft light greyish brown sandy clay 0.21m thick Dumped deposit

157 BRG Friable reddish orange clay 0.46m thick Wall make-up

158 BRG Soft greyish brown clay 0.27m thick Dumped deposit



159 BRG Firm light brown clay 0.17m thick Dumped deposit

160 BRG Loose light brown sand 0.2m thick Dumped deposit

161 BRG Firm greyish orange sand Natural

162 BRG Friable dark grey clayey sand 0.23m thick Dumped deposit

163 BRG Firm yellow sandy clay 0.15m thick Dumped deposit

164 BRG Compacted yellowish white mortar 0.15m thick Dumped deposit

165 BRG Firm yellowish white lime mortar 0.31m thick Levelling

166 BRG Firm dark grey clinker 0.07m thick Levelling

167 BRG Very loose dark grey charcoal/clinker up to 0.14m thick Levelling

168 BRG Loose reddish brown silty sandy clay up to 0.14m thick Levelling

169 BRG Loose mid reddish brown redeposited sand 0.11m thick Levelling

170 BRG Friable whitish brown sandy silt 0.11m thick Levelling

171 BRG Friable whitish grey coarse sand 0.17m thick Levelling

172 BRG Soft whitish brown sandy clay 0.09m thick Levelling

173 BRG Soft red sandy silt 0.04m thick Lens

174 BRG Soft dark reddish brown sandy silt 0.13m thick Dumped deposit

175 BRG Loose mottled white brownish red coarse sand 0.18m thick Floor makeup

176 BRG Compact yellowish red silt 0.17m thick Dumped deposit

178 BRG Loose mid reddish brown redeposited sand 0.1m thick Dumped deposit

179 BRG Fairly firm mid greyish brown silty sand 0.18m thick Fill of [204]

180 BRG Soft dark reddish brown sandy silt 0.05m thick Dumped deposit

181 BRG Friable mid greyish brown sandy silty clay 0.08m thick Fill of [204]

182 BRG Fairly firm mid greyish brown silty clay 0.05m thick Floor makeup

183 BRG Block floor same as [203] Block floor



188 BRG Loose dark brownish grey silty sand up to 0.3m thick Fill of [204]

189 BRG Friable dark greyish brown clayey sand 0.3m thick Fill of [204]

190 BRG Compacted crushed brick and lime mortar up to 0.3m thick Dumped deposit

191 BRG Firm very dark brown silty sand 0.06m thick Floor make-up

192 BRG Large yellow block floor 1.07m wide Block floor

193 BRG Soft grey sandy clay 2.8m x 1.4m Floor make-up

194 BRG Brick floor 4.5m x 2.3m Floor surface

195 BRG Friable light brown clay 0.06m thick Dumped deposit

196 BRG Very loose dark grey clinker 0.09m thick Dumped deposit

197 BRG Friable greyish yellow clayey sand 0.09m thick Dumped deposit

198 BRG Loose mid brown clayey sand 0.09m thick Dumped deposit

199 BRG Friable mid brown sandy clay 0.09m thick Dumped deposit

200 BRG Compact white mortar 0.15m thick Dumped deposit

201 BRG Friable mottled grey/brown sandy clay 0.3m thick Fill of [202]

202 BRG Curvilinear cut 2.8m long seen, 0.35m wide, 0.3m deep Cone wall [120]

construction cut

203 BRG Yellow block floor 0.93m x 0.94m x 0.11m high Block floor

204 BRG Cut of pit 1m wide by 0.5m+ deep Cut of pit

300 APS Machining finds Finds

301 APS Condenser pit group number Condenser pit 1812

302 APS Loose dark grey ash/clinker 1m+ deep Fill of [336] 1930s?

303 APS Red/blue brick surface 9.75m long, 1.8m wide, 0.08m deep Yard surface 20th C?

304 APS Circular red brick shaft 2.74m diameter, 1.1m+ deep Pump shaft 1812

305 APS Linear brick culvert 1.5m+ long, 1.6m wide, 0.6m high Culvert 1812

306 APS Red brick wall 1.17m long x 0.67m wide x 0.3m+ deep North end wall 1812

307 APS SE facing wall of [301] 2.7m wide, up to 2.3m high Brick wall 1812

308 APS SW facing wall of [301] 2.5m wide, up to 2.5m high Brick wall 1812

309 APS NW facing wall of [301] 2.62m wide, up to 2.12m high Brick wall 1812

310 APS NE facing wall of [301] 2.5m wide, 2.35m high Brick wall 1812

311 APS Iron inlet pipe within wall [309]. 0.3m diameter Water inlet pipe 1812

312 APS Brick wall 1.1m x 0.7m x 0.7m high, abuts [309] Pipe support wall 1812

313 APS Iron pipe 0.4m long, 0.2m diameter, flange 0.36m diameter Water pipe 1812

314 APS Worked sandstone block 0.5m long, 0.2m thick, part of wall

[308]

Pipe housing

(upper) 1812

315 APS Worked sandstone block 0.5m long, 0.2m thick, part of wall

[308]

Pipe housing

(lower) 1812



316 APS Iron water pipe 0.15m diameter Water pipe 1812

317 APS Sandstone block 0.7m long x 0.2m deep with 0.12m deep

groove, part of wall [307]

Possible groove for

removed pipe 1812

318 APS Iron water pipe 2.67m long x 0.12m diameter Water pipe 1812

319 APS Sandstone block 1.3m long x 0.9m wide x 0.4m deep with

a metal bolt in it

Base for beam

support 1812

320 APS Brick floor 3.95m x 1m, broken away to south Probable boiler

room floor 1812

321 APS Curving brick wall 1.7m long South wall of [322] 1812

322 APS Curving, sloping brick feature 2.21m long, 0.43m wide Water chute 1812

323 APS Curving brick wall 3.94m long, 0.54m wide x 1.28m at

deepest North wall of [322] 1812

324 APS Brick shaft 1.24m long x 0.54m wide x 0.82m deep Flue? 1812

325 APS Soft blue black silt 0.82m thick Fill of [324] 1930s?

326 APS Red brick wall 1.67m long x 1m wide x 0.6m high Later brick wall 20th C?

327 APS Compact black silty sand 0.17m thick Dumped deposit

328 APS Firm yellowish brown sand 0.42m thick Fill of [332]

329 APS Red brick wall 13.5m long x 2.17m high x 0.7m wide East side wall 1812

330 APS NE-SW aligned iron pipe 0.04m diameter Mains connection? 20th C?

331 APS NW-SE aligned iron pipe 11m long, 0.14m diameter Water pipe 1812

332 APS Linear cut for [331] 11m+ long x 0.6m wide x 0.42m deep Pipe trench 1812

333 APS Soft yellowish brown sand 0.15m thick Levelling

334 APS Red brick wall 4.2m long x 3m wide x 1.3m thick Cylinder base 1812

335 APS Rectangular red brick shaft 1m x 0.9m x 0.35m Brick shaft 1812

336 APS Rectangular red brick shaft 0.9m x 0.7m x 1m+ deep Brick shaft 1812

337 APS Loose dark grey clinker/rubble/iron 2.3m thick Backfill of [301] 1930s?

338 APS Red brick wall 0.9m long x 0.44m wide x 0.1m depth seen Brick wall 1812

339 APS Stiff dark red clay Lower fill of [336]

340 APS Iron girder above culvert [305] 1.38m long x 0.12m x

0.07m

Possibly roof

support for culvert

341 APS Canalside brick wall of pumping station 1.89m x 1.91m External wall 1812

342 APS Yellow brick wall 1.5m x 1.7m Passage wall

343 APS Brick wall 1.4m high x 1.21m wide Adjacent wall to

pumping station

344 APS Firm yellowish brown sand probably redeposited natural Floor around [304]

345 APS Brick built feature aligned NW-SE 1.8m long x 0.7m wide

x 0.2m deep Pipe channel 1812

346 APS Sandstone slab 0.84m x 0.64m Slab within [345]


Appendix 3

THE FINDS

INTRODUCTION

A moderately large, mixed assemblage of artefacts, comprising 514 items weighing a total of

145305g, was recovered. Items of pottery and glass were particularly abundant, together accounting

for about 70% of the total assemblage, and both collections contained industrial waste. In addition,

there were ceramic building materials, clay pipes, metals, stone and other materials. Industrial

activity and processes were also apparent in the assemblages of metal and other materials.

POST MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN POTTERY

By Gary Taylor and Dr. Anne Boyle

Introduction

All the material was recorded at archive level in accordance with the guidelines laid out in

Slowikowski et al. The pottery codenames (Cname) are in accordance with the Post Roman pottery

type series for Lincolnshire (Young et al. 2005) as codenames for West Midlands pottery are still in

development (Pers comm. Stephanie Ratkai). Two hundred and sixty-two sherds from two hundred

and twenty-five vessels, weighing 30,894 grams were recovered from the site.

Methodology

The material was laid out and viewed in context order. Sherds were counted and weighed by

individual vessel within each context. The pottery was examined visually and using x20

magnification. This data was then added to an Access database.

Results

A summary of the pottery is presented in table 1. An archive list of the pottery is included in

appendix 4.


Table 1, Summary of the pottery by count and weight

Cname Full name Earliest date

Latest date

NoS NoV W (g)

BL Black-glazed wares 1550 1750 28 25 1607

CREA Creamware 1770 1830 25 22 329

CRUC Crucible - - 5 4 8266

ENGS Unspecified English Stoneware 1900 10 10 1290

ENPO English Porcelain 6 6 91

KFURN Kiln Furniture - - 28 28 1729

MY Midlands Yellow ware 1550 1650 1 1 9

NCBW 19th-century Buff ware 1800 1900 1 1 4

PEARL Pearlware 1770 1900 19 15 220

SAGGAR Saggar - - 13 13 15568

SLIP Unidentified slipware 1650 1750 1 1 22

SWSG Staffordshire White Saltglazed stoneware

1700 1770 2 2 95

TGW Tin-glazed ware 5 4 36

UCE Unglazed Cream Earthenware 3 2 156

UENPO Unglazed English Porcelain-type (Generic)

27 27 953

UWE Unglazed White Earthenware 73 50 349

WHITE Modern whiteware 1850 1900 15 14 170

TOTAL: 262 225 30894

Provenance

The provenance of much of the pottery is hard to ascertain as many of the wares in the assemblage

were manufactured at a variety of places around the country. Whilst the Staffordshire potteries

supplied some of the pottery found on the site, other producers (for example in Derbyshire,

Yorkshire and the southern counties) are equally likely sources. The industrial vessels are likely to

be locally made from refractory clays, with white pipe clay used for the props.

Range

The majority of the pottery dates to the 19th

century. The 18th

century is represented by Black-,

Yellow-, Staffordshire White Salt glazed and Tin Glazed Earthenware. Pearl- and Creamwares can

date this early, though the forms in this assemblage are more typical of the 19th

century.

The Unglazed White, Cream and English Porcelain-type vessels are more difficult to date. The

cream bodied wares are brown slipped and the finished vessels may have resembled Mocha ware.

This would date these vessels to the early 19th

century, as from the 1830s a white body was used.

This material appears in the same context (030) as the unglazed English Porcelain-types which are


more likely to be of mid/late to late 19th

century date. The Unglazed White Earthenwares may date

to the 19th

century. The industrial vessels are undateable but are probably associated with the

Glassworks and are therefore 19th

century.

Condition

The pottery is in variable condition with small abraded sherds occurring in the same contexts as

larger, fresher fragments. The average sherd weight (excluding the industrial vessels and props) is

twenty-one grams. Most of the vessels are represented by single sherds; the notable exception being

the unglazed vessels. The one hundred and three sherds that fall into the unglazed category

represent a maximum of seventy-nine vessels. The industrial vessels are all represented by large,

fresh fragments. Most have internal industrial residues of glass and have obviously undergone high

temperatures due to their vitrified appearance.

Potential

The assemblage is interesting because of the number of unglazed vessels which may relate to pottery

manufacture on or in the vicinity of the site. A link between pottery and glass manufacture is

possible and worthy of further investigation. The industrial vessels can potentially reveal details of

the manufacturing techniques used at the glassworks.

Pottery

Several of the vessels in the assemblage would benefit from further work to identify their

provenance and refine their dating. This would require consultation with the relevant specialists and

further reading of published material. The unglazed vessels merit similar work and, if confirmed as

production waste, should be considered in relation to existing knowledge of the local pottery

industry. If unparalleled, the unglazed vessels may warrant a type-series to be created. Some of the

vessels will require illustration.

Industrial Vessels

Saggars/fritting trays

Several oval/round shallow refractory vessels with straight sides were recovered from the site.

These have varying diameters but apparently fall into small and large sizes. Several of these contain


glass residues, either as clear glass or frit. The purpose of these vessels is yet to be determined

though it seems possible they were used during the fritting process. The other possibility is that

these vessels are connected to pottery manufacture.

Crucibles

Examples of crucibles are present. These are highly vitrified but are likely to have been made of

refractory clay. The only shape that is present is tall and tapering.

Props

Examples of circular props and packing strips are also present in the assemblage. These are made

from primary clay and do not bear any signs of having been fired at high temperatures. Whether

these are associated with glass or pottery production is not yet clear.

These industrial vessels and furniture require more in-depth quantification. Measurements of rim

and base diameters and height should be made. The vessels and props should be ordered into a

typological classification if possible and examples illustrated. The relevant specialists should be

consulted. The assemblage should be considered in light of the published evidence and a synthetic

analysis of the assemblage should be produced.

Recommendations

The following recommendations are required to analyse the assemblage and produce a publication

report.

1. Consultation with the following

David Barker, Staffordshire pottery specialist

Stephanie Ratkai, West Midlands pottery specialist

Derek Hurst, West Midlands pottery specialist

David Crossley

2. Research

Comparing the BIES07 assemblage to similar published sites (2 days)


Consult type-series or ceramic collections held at Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and the British

Museum if necessary

3. Update Archive

Updating archive to include vessel measurements and refined dating/provenance (1 day)

Typology of the industrial vessels, props and unglazed vessels (1 day)

Illustration of ca. thirty vessels

Published report

The publication report will contain the following sections:

Summary of the pottery based on the archive

Discussion of the pottery by ceramic phase

Discussion of the pottery by site phase

Synthesis with other sites (includes the results of recommendation 2)

Illustration catalogue (based on recommendation 3)

To produce a full publication report will take a maximum of 6 days (depending on the length and

style of publication)

CERAMIC BUILDING MATERIAL

By Dr. Anne Boyle

Introduction

All the material was recorded at archive level in accordance with the guidelines laid out in the

ACBMG guidelines (2001). Thirty-five fragments of building material, weighing 103, 579 grams

are present in the assemblage. This includes a representative sample of bricks from structures on the

site.

Methodology

The material was laid out and viewed in context order in an unwashed state. Fragments were

counted and weighed by within each context. This data was then added to an Access database.


Results

A summary of the pottery is presented in table 2. An archive list of the ceramic building material is

included in appendix 4.

Table 2, Summary of the ceramic building material by count and weight

Cname Full name NoF W (g)

BRK Brick 31 103346

MODDRAIN Modern land drain 3 217

MODTIL Modern tile 1 16

TOTAL: 35 103579

Provenance

The bricks are likely to be locally manufactured. A single brick was stamped with a maker based in

Stourbridge. Several occur in a refractory fabric which is macroscopically similar to the fabric used

for the industrial vessels.

Range

Most of the bricks are solid handmade bricks which cannot be closely dated but are probably of 18th

or 19th

century date. A few have early industrial frogging, which suggests they are later and post

date the late 18th

century. Some of the bricks are vitrified and have slag/fuel ash deposits adhering to

them. The drain and tile fragments also date to this period.

Condition

The bricks are mostly complete and in fresh condition. One brick from (035) appears to be worn and

may have been reused. The tile is more fragmentary and does not include any complete examples.

Potential

The assemblage holds limited potential for further work. A selection of the bricks (ca. 10% of the

assemblage) should be retained and re-examined once processed. At this stage, the ceramic building

material archive can be updated if necessary. It is unlikely any of the bricks or tile will require

illustration.


Recommendations

Re-examination of the retained material (1 day)

Summary of the bricks for the publication report (0.5 day)

GLASS

By Rachael Hall

Introduction

During archaeological investigations undertaken at Eastside, Birmingham 100 fragments of glass

weighing a total of 5899g were recovered from the three excavation areas. The small assemblage

comprised mainly 19th

-20th

glass, including residues that might be presumed to be associated with

the glassworks which once stood on the site. The majority of the glass recovered during the

excavations derives from deposits associated with the clearance of the glassworks and later remedial

works at the sites resulting in residual finds of glass associated with the earlier glass works. The

assemblage is summarised below as Table 3.

Results

Table 3, Glass Archive

Context Description NoF W (g) Date

Colourless, waste trail, 19th century 1 8

Opaque white, fire-rounded rim-slightly splayed, 19th century 1 8

Opaque white glass adhered to opaque blue glass, vessel sherd 1 2

Orange, mould-produced with moulded embossed decoration, horizontal lines

and floral decoration, vessel sherd, 20th century

1 12

Green, mould-produced bottle, body sherd with embossed advertising ‘B.C…’ 1 32

Green, base of mould-produced bottle with pinched embossed decoration

around edge

1 8

Pale green, circular internal stopper lid, knocking off scar on the underside.

Moulded embossed advertising around lid edge ‘RIGHT & CO AVONSHIRE’,

19th century

1 70

030

Pale green, base of cylindrical bottle, wear on the base and punt mark ’14..’.

Moulded embossed advertising on body section, obscured by break ‘..HAW &

CO..MAKERS..I HELENS’, 19th century

1 116

20th century


Pale green, body sherd of mould-produced cylindrical bottle, 19th century 1 92

Pale green, mould-produced cylindrical bottle, wear on the base, oval panel

with moulded embossed advertising obscured by break

‘G…BIRMINGHAM…D’, 19th century

1 330

Colourless, waste trail, 19th century 1 2

Colourless nugget of waste glass, flat top, chipped along edges 1 540

Pale green nugget of waste glass, one flat side 1 270

Colourless nugget of waste glass 1 124

Assorted glass slags and waste residues, bubbly characteristics, charcoal/coal

contained within several of the residues

10 536

Assorted glass residues and waste trails 5 60 043

Blue, part of small disc with grozing along edge 1 2

Pale green, mould-produced cylindrical bottle (body sherd), iridescence, 19th

century

1 100

Pale blue, mould-produced square bottle (body sherd), iridescence, 19th

century

1 12

Colourless, mould-produced cylindrical bottle (body sherd), 19th century 1 12

Colourless, plate window glass, 19th century 3 22

Colourless, possible sherd of cylindrical bottle, poor condition-some possible

heat damage

1 36

Colourless, small chips of glass 3 6

Colourless, possible sherd of bottle, heat cracking 1 2

Colourless, small vessel sherds, one with iridescence 3 2

Bright blue (Bristol), small chip of glass 1 1

Colourless, small waste nugget 1 1

051

Colourless, small cone of glass, with bell end chipped off 1 4

19th century

Green, moulded-cylindrical bottle (body sherd), 19th century 1 9

Colourless, window glass, 20t h century 1 3

Colourless, small nugget of waste glass, two flat sides 1 24

Colourless, moulded ribbed window glass, poss cupboard door glass 1 60

Colourless, base of moulded bottle/jar, some wear on base, 20th century 1 22

Colourless, base of moulded bottle/jar, 20th century 1 8

Colourless, out-turned fire-rounded rim of straight sided vesssel, iridescence 1 2

Colourless, small cylindrical trail 1 1

Green, vessel sherd 1 1

054

Colourless, vessel sherd, with iridescence 1 1

20th century


Colourless, moulded ribbed window glass, poss cupboard door glass 2 22 108

Green, small segment of tubing 1 1

Pale green, base of bottle-cylindrical?, punt mark ‘AI’ , 19th century 1 38

Dark green, base of wine bottle with deep square profiled push-up, wear on

base, 19th century

1 140

Colourless, moulded cylindrical bottle with embossed decoration-obscured by

break, 19th century

1 40

Colourless, moulder-produced base of small oval container/jar, embossed on

base ‘GLASS MADE AS…..’, 19th century

1 36

Colourless, mould-produced base of vase?, 19th century 1 42

Pale blue, mould-produced square bottle (body sherd), 19th century 1 12

Colourless, small cylindrical jar/bottle with rounded base, 19th century 1 32

Colourless, waste trails 2 12

Colourless, part of disc, chipped around the edges 1 82

Colourless, vessel with fire-rounded rim and pinched side, poss beaker, 19th

century

1 22

Colourless window glass, 19th century 1 1

Colourless, part of bottle neck?, 19th century 1 1

Colourless, indeterminate 1 4

Green, base of mould-produced bottle, punt mark ‘1’, 19/20th century 1 54

Colourless, mould-produced bottle (body sherd), 19th century 1 28

Brown, neck of mould-produced beer bottle, 19/20th century 1 12

Pale green, applied folded-over rim, 19th century 1 28

Assorted nuggets of waste glass from glass production, bright blue, green,

colourless and dark green

5 1190

Colourless, complete mould-produced phial, 19th century 1 22

Colourless, mould-produced beaker with impressed decoration (ovals and

vertical lines)

1 112

Colourless mould-produced cylindrical bottle, embossed advertising obscured

by breaks ‘ B I W LEICESTER’

1 84

Opaque while with blue strips elongated neck with applied uneven fire rounded

rim, neck of ornamental bottle, 19th century

1 130

Colourless, mould-produced Codd bottle with marble with embossed

advertising, obscured by breaks ‘..EGISTERED CULVERHOUSE SODA

WATER AST…’, 19th century

2 414

122

Colourless, mould-produced end of Codd bottle with embossed advertising 1 126

19th-20th

century


obscured by breaks, ‘ RNE…LS&CO’, partial logo on front-hexagon with

internal decoration, 19th century

Colourless, mould-produced Codd bottle (body sherd) with embossed

advertising obscured by breaks ‘..ES…YORKS’, 19th century

1 62

Colourless, window glass, iridescence, very poor condition, early 19th century 5 9

Colourless with white striations, nugget of waste glass 1 26

126

Green, vessel sherd/bottle, 19/20th century 1 2

19th-20th

century

148 White opaque sherd of window glass, small rectangular quarry 1 3

300 Brown, complete mould-produced cylindrical pop bottle with aluminium screw

top

1 620 20th century

Totals 100 5948

Range

Almost all of the glass falls within the 19th

-20th

century date bracket, and as such is not unusual for

an assemblage of this period associated with the clearance of and dumping at a site. There is some

waste glass and industrial residues associated with the 19th

century glass works, although the

quantity is not vast. One of the pieces, from (122), is embossed with the words: ‘CULVERHOUSE

SODA WATER’. Based in London, this firm were active in the period 1808-1913.

Condition

The glass is all in a fragmentary condition, with iridescence present on several of the sherds.

Potential

The assemblage is not unusual for the period and provenance. With the majority (almost all) of the

glass associated with later unstratified contexts, including the waste from the Belmont works, there

is little potential offered in the further analysis of the material.

Recommendations


report.


David Crossley


Jim Andrew

2. Research

Comparing the BIES07 assemblage to similar published sites (1 day)

3. Update Archive

Updating archive to include measurements and refined dating/provenance (1 day)

Illustration of ca. ten vessels

Photography of industrial waste (ca. 20 items)

Published report


Summary of the glass based on the archive

Discussion of the glass by site phase

Synthesis with other sites

Illustration catalogue



CLAY PIPES

By Gary Taylor

Introduction Analysis of the clay pipes followed the guidance published by Davey (1981) and the material is

detailed in the accompanying table.

Results

Eighty-four fragments of clay pipe weighing 173g were recovered. The entire assemblage is

probably 19th

century, with nothing earlier than about the mid 18th

century.


Table 4. Clay pipes

Bore diameter /64” Context

no. 8 7 6 5 4

NoF W(g) Comments Date

030 5 5 14 Includes bowl fragment with long, forward

pointing spur, Oswald type G22/23?, c. 1750-

1800

19th

century

051 2 7 9 17 Includes spurred (spur broken off) bowl

fragment of late 18th-early 19th century type

19th

century

054 3 61 66 129 Includes 2 mouthpieces and 5 bowl fragments

(2 link). All the bowls are thin walled and 3

were spurred (spurs broken off) and are of late

18th-early 19th century type

19th

century

122 2 2 7 18th-19th

century

126 1 1 2 Bowl fragment, spurred, oak leaves on mould

seams

1840-80

300 1 1 4 18th-19th

century

Totals 8 74 84 173

Clay pipe manufacture seems to have come to Birmingham relatively late, with the first record of a

maker dating to 1762. Moreover, the 19th

century was the heyday of clay pipe production in

Birmingham as, of 228 known makers, no less than 218 were active at this time. Production of clay

pipes in Birmingham persisted in to the 20th

century, as late as the 1930s (Gault and Alvey 1979).

Pipe bowls decorated with plant leaves on the mould seams were common throughout the country in

the 19th

century, predominantly in the period c. 1820-60, though in places persist to about 1890

(Mann 1977, 23). The example from (126) has a moderately long tapering spur and resembles pipes

of the period 1840/1850 to about 1880 (ibid. 23-4).

Condition

Although fragmentary, the clay pipes are in good condition and present no long-term storage

problems.

Potential

For the most part lacking typologically and chronologically distinct bowl forms, the assemblage is of

limited potential but provides some broad dating evidence.


Recommendations

No further work required.

OTHER FINDS

By Gary Taylor

Introduction

A moderate quantity (33 items) of ‘other’ artefacts, mostly metal and stone, weighing a total of

4760g (1 item not weighed) were recovered.

Results

Table 5. Other Materials

Context Material Description NoF W (g) Date

Iron Rectangular sectioned spike, bent 1 50

Iron Hooked retaining spike, late post-medieval 1 67

Copper alloy Leaded, terminal, sub-circular and chamfered, with hole

through, post-medieval?

1 78 030

Iron Thin sheet dish with substantial blue and green slaggy

deposits adhering, possible crucible, post-medieval

1 1135

Late post-

medieval

Rubber Cable sheath, late 20th century 1 7

Iron Nails 2 34

Shell Mother of pearl panel button blank 1 4 051

Stone/tar Road surfacing material, late post-medieval 10 687

Late 20th

century

Stone Shale, natural 1 54

Stone/mortar Mortar, or possibly stone with mortar adhering? 1 6

Iron Hook latch, post-medieval 1 119 054

Copper alloy Rectangular strip, c. 150mm x 5mm x 1mm, bent, post-

medieval

1 7

Post-

medieval

Iron Nail? 1 6

Iron L-shaped rod, one part circular sectioned, the other

flattened

1 60

108

Iron Retaining rod: circular section bar, threaded at one end,

with nut and square washer, late post-medieval

1 75

Late post-

medieval

121 Iron Square sectioned rod with retaining hook 1 181 Post-


medieval

Industrial residue Slag/slagged furnace lining, late post-medieval 1 135

122 Iron Plano-convex disk, 170mm diameter, 30mm thick at rim,

increasing to about 45mm at centre, burnt/slagged

surface, possible crucible cover? Late post-medieval

1 1589

Late post-

medieval

148 Iron Thin sheet dish, with cuprous staining, possible

crucible?

1 57 Post-

medieval

150 Stone Roofing slate 1 113 Post-

medieval

154 Iron Container, 17mm wide 1 64 Late post-

medieval

Iron Bolt, possible sleeper retainer, post-medieval 1 232 337

Iron Pipe, 0.96m long (broken), 0.13m internal diameter,

0.23m external diameter, circular flange 0.23m across;

probable steam pipe, late post-medieval

1 -

Late post-

medieval

Totals 33 4760

Range

The other finds mostly comprise metal and stone, with iron objects most common. Where datable, all

are post-medieval to recent.

Condition

All the items are in good condition and present no concerns for long-term storage.

Potential

Most of the items provide indications of specific functions, including industrial activities, and are of

moderate or high local significance and potential. In particular, there are two possible crucibles that

seem to be associated with copper alloy working, and waste from button making.

Recommendations


report.



David Crossley

University of Bradford (provisional)

2. Research

Comparing the BIES07 assemblage to similar published sites (1 day)

Have cuprous residues qualitatively analysed

3. Update Archive

X-ray ironwork

Updating archive to include measurements and refined dating (1/4 day)

Typology of the items (1/2 day)

Illustration of selected items

Published report


Summary of the artefacts based on the archive

Discussion of the artefacts by function

Discussion of the artefacts by site phase

Synthesis with other sites

Illustration catalogue



Summary

FAUNAL REMAINS

By Paul Cope-Faulkner

Introduction

Three (33g) fragments of faunal remains were recovered.


Provenance

The faunal remains were retrieved from a dumped deposit (051) and as unstratified material (030).

Condition

The overall condition of the remains was good to moderate.

Results

Table 6, Fragments Identified to Taxa

Context Species Bone Side Number W (g) Comments

Sheep/goat rib R 1 1 030

Oyster shell 1 28

051 Sheep/goat metacarpus - 1 4

Summary

The assemblage is considered too small to warrant further analysis.

Recommendations

No further work.

SPOT DATING

The dating in table 7 is based on the evidence provided by the finds detailed above.

Table 7, Spot dates

Context Date Probable date range Comment

013 19th Ca. 1800-1860 Date on a single vessel

030 Mid/late to late 19th Ca. 1860-1880 Possible production?

035 18th to 19th Date on a single brick


043 No date




051 Late 20th Dating on a single rubber cable sheath; possibly intrusive;


contains a single fragment of early modern tile and pottery of

mid to mid/late 19th century date.

054 Late 19th to early 20th Ca. 1870-1920

108 Late 18th to early 19th

(probably early 19th)

Ca. 1800-1820


121 Late post-medieval Date on single piece of metal

122 Late 19th to early 20th Ca.1860-1920

126 Early to mid 19th Ca.1810/20-1850




132 18th to 19th

135 18th to 19th


139 18th to 20th

144 18th to 19th

146 Late 18th to 19th

148 18th Ca.1720-1800 Date on a single sherd

149 19th Ca. 1800-1900 Possible production – difficult to date; handle forms might

indicate 2nd half of 19th

150 Early to mid 19th Ca.1800-1850

152 18th (probably mid/late 18th) Ca. 1750-1780

154 Early/mid 19th Ca.1820-1850

175 18th (probably mid 18th) Ca. 1740-1760 Date on a single sherd

194 18th to 20th

203 18th to 19th

300 Mid 19th Ca. 1830-1870 Date on a single vessel

303 20th Based on single complete bottle

334 (18th ) to 19th

337 Late post-medieval

ABBREVIATIONS

ACBMG Archaeological Ceramic Building Materials Group

BS Body sherd

CBM Ceramic Building Material


CLAU City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit

LHJ Lower Handle Join

NoF Number of Fragments

NoS Number of sherds

NoV Number of vessels

O Oxidised

NRFRC National Roman Fabric Reference Collection

PCRG Prehistoric Ceramic Research Group

R Reduced

UHJ Upper Handle Join

W (g) Weight (grams)

REFERENCES

~ 2001, Draft Minimum Standards for the Recovery, Analysis and Publication of Ceramic Building Material, third

version [internet]. Available from <http://www.geocities.com/acbmg1/CBMGDE3.htm>

~ 2003, Lincolnshire Archaeological Handbook [internet]. Available at <http://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/

section.asp?catId=3155>

Davey, P. J., 1981 Guidelines for the processing and publication of clay pipes from excavations, Medieval and Later

Pottery in Wales 4: 65-88.

Gault, W. R. and Alvey, R. C., 1979, ‘County lists of clay tobacco-pipe makers’, in P. Davey (ed), The Archaeology of

the Clay Tobacco Pipe I, BAR British Series 63: 363-411.

Mann, J. E., 1977 Clay Tobacco Pipes from Excavations in Lincoln 1970-74, Lincoln Archaeological Trust Monograph

Series Vol. XV-1 (Council for British Archaeology)

Oswald, A., 1975 Clay Pipes for the Archaeologist, British Archaeological Reports 14

Slowikowski, A. M., Nenk, B. and J. Pearce, 2001, Minimum Standards for the Processing, Recording, Analysis and

Publication of Post-Roman Ceramics, Occasional Paper 2, London: Medieval Pottery Research Group.

Young, J., Vince, A.G. and V. Nailor, 2005, A Corpus of Saxon and Medieval Pottery from Lincoln, Oxford: Oxbow.

Appendix 4

POST MEDIEVAL AND EARLY MODERN

POTTERY ARCHIVE

Gary Taylor and Dr Anne Boyle

Cxt Cname Fabric Form NoS NoV W (g) Decoration Part Description Date

013 ENGS Bottle 1 1 621 Black transfer print “…Lincoln Limited”

Complete

030 BL Coarse Jar 1 1 82 Base Staffordshire; patchy soot

030 CREA Small hollow

1 1 1 Blue under glaze transfer print; "…RIA…"

BS ?ID or PEARL

030 CREA ? 1 1 12 Base? Lemon yellow tint to glaze

030 CREA Cup? 1 1 6 Blue and brown under glaze slip banding

BS

030 CREA "Ginger" jar 1 1 20 Rim Everted rim; stacking scar on rim edge

030 CREA Bowl 1 1 42 Base

030 CREA Bowl 1 1 24 Rim

030 CREA Tall hollow 1 1 19 Blue under glaze transfer print; landscape design

BS ?ID or PEARL

030 SAGGAR Light firing refractory

Large shallow oval

1 1 427 Profile Internal industrial residue


Large shallow oval

1 1 3083 Profile Internal industrial residue; trimmed externally


Large shallow oval

1 1 2326 Profile Unused; trimmed externally


Large shallow oval

1 1 1028 Profile Trimmed externally


Large shallow oval



Large shallow

1 1 2919 Base

oval


Small shallow oval

1 1 240 Profile

030 ENGS Buff Bowl 1 1 153 Internal white slip

BS

030 ENGS Bottle 1 1 111 Base

030 ENGS Bottle 1 1 4 Black under glaze transfer print; "…GING…F..."

BS

030 ENGS White Bottle 1 1 97 Base Early

030 ENPO Flat 1 1 3 Liquid gold under glaze; line on rim edge; moulded naturalistic design

Rim Scalloped rim

030 KFURN Light firing fine

Large circular prop

1 1 64 BS


Small circular prop

1 1 3 BS


Large circular prop

1 1 10 BS


Small circular prop

2 2 18 BS

030 KFURN Light firing refractory

Donut prop?

1 1 1053 Near profile

030 KFURN Light firing refractory

Donut prop?

1 1 399 Near profile


Large circular prop

1 1 28 BS

030 PEARL Cup 1 1 10 Thick blue under glaze transfer print

Rim

030 UCW Jug? 1 1 48 Brown slip; incised horizontal bands

BS with HJ

Rounded body; soot

030 UCW Tall straight sided mug

2 1 108 Two tone brown slip; incised horizontal band

Base Internal sand deposit

030 UENPO Fluted oval hollow

1 1 37 Base with LHJ

White concretions

030 UENPO Garden pot 1 1 82 Moulded lion head

Profile Patchy soot

030 UENPO Hollow 1 1 147 Base Foot ring; fe concretion

030 UENPO Asymmetric hollow

1 1 90 Rim Soot; distorted?

030 UENPO Hollow 1 1 22 BS Ridged body; odd change of angle; distorted?

030 UENPO Small straight sided jar?

1 1 19 Base Foot ring


1 1 15 Rim Upright rim

030 UENPO Dish 1 1 25 Profile Foot ring



030 UENPO Bowl? 1 1 70 Base Ridged body

030 UENPO Straight sided mug

1 1 4 Handle Oval handle with raised central rib

030 UENPO Bowl? 1 1 39 Base Foot ring

030 UENPO Tea bowl 1 1 23 Base Foot ring

030 WHITE Small hollow

1 1 4 BS Burnt; fe concretion; ?ID

030 WHITE Cup 2 1 9 Purple under glaze lithographic print; floral design

Rim Transfer print poorly applied and smudged

early/mid 19th +

051 BL Pale oxidised; coarse

Bowl 1 1 87 Rim Hollow everted rim; red slipped

late 17th to 18th


Bowl 1 1 145 Rim Everted rim; red slipped

late 17th to 18th

051 BL Vitrified Hollow 1 1 17 BS late 16th to 17th


Bowl? 1 1 8 BS late 17th to 18th

051 BL Vitrified Jar 1 1 48 Base Red slipped; Staffordshire

late 17th to 18th

051 BL Near vitrified; coarse

Jar 1 1 61 Base Concretion; red slipped

late 17th to 18th


Bowl? 2 1 62 BS Staffordshire; red slipped

late 17th to 18th


Jar 1 1 10 Rim Hooked rim late 16th to 17th

051 BL Pale Bowl 1 1 44 BS Red slipped late 17th

oxidised; coarse

to 18th

051 BL Vitrified Drinking vessel?

1 1 9 BS late 16th to 17th

051 CREA Small straight sided jar

1 1 5 Red painted horizontal band on rim and lower body

Rim


Small shallow oval

1 1 537 Profile Yellow "glaze"

051 ENPO Small jar 1 1 8 Moulded floral motif; blue wash

Rim Upright rim

051 PEARL ? 1 1 3 Blue under glaze transfer print

BS Spalled; strong blue tint to glaze

051 PEARL Plate/dish 1 1 32 Blue under glaze transfer print; chinoiserie design

BS

051 PEARL Dish 1 1 36 Blue under glaze transfer print; chinoiserie design

Profile External insignia of unicorn and lion; Elkins & Co. Stoke

051 WHITE Figurine 1 1 61 Various over glaze paint

BS Greyhound; fe concretions

051 WHITE Flat 1 1 10 Blue under glaze transfer print; chinoiserie design

BS

051 WHITE ? 1 1 1 Blue under glaze slip bands

BS Burnt

051 WHITE Bowl 1 1 12 Blue under glaze transfer print; floral design

Rim Moulded beading on flared rim; fe concretions

054 BL Vitrified Jar? 1 1 10 Rim Hooked rim 17th to early 18th

054 CREA Hollow 1 1 4 BS


054 CREA ? 1 1 4 Base?

054 CREA Straight sided jar

1 1 9 Rim Ridged body; round rim; lemon yellow tint to glaze

054 CREA Plate? 1 1 5 Blue under glaze transfer print;

Base ?ID or PEARL

chinoiserie design

054 CREA Teapot 1 1 6 Spout


Small shallow oval


054 ENGS Bottle 1 1 21 Black under glaze transfer print; "...FERM…GIN…ANYONE…DAM…"

BS Fe concretions

054 ENPO Small dish/ cup

1 1 7 Liquid gold under glaze; horizontal line on body and rim edge

BS Same set

054 ENPO Dish 1 1 16 Liquid gold under glaze; horizontal line

Profile Same set

054 ENPO Bone china Small hollow

1 1 4 Lustre over glaze paint

Base Foot ring

054 PEARL Hollow 1 1 1 BS Colour flooded glaze

054 PEARL Dish/ bowl/ plate

1 1 4 Blue under glaze transfer print; floral design

BS 19th

054 PEARL Hollow 1 1 2 Dark blue under glaze transfer print

Base Foot ring; colour flooded glaze

054 PEARL Dish/bowl 2 1 20 Blue under glaze transfer print

BS Colour flooded glaze

054 SWSG Bowl 1 1 91 Base

054 TGW ? 1 1 1 Blue hand painted design

Base Blue tinged glaze

054 TGW Bowl? 1 1 8 Blue hand painted design

Base Worn basal angle; blue tinged glaze


1 1 3 Handle with UHJ

Oval handle

054 UENPO Straight sided mug/jar

1 1 7 BS

054 UENPO Straight sided mug/jar

1 1 17 Base Foot ring; patchy soot


1 1 9 Base with LHJ

Foot ing; patchy soot

054 UENPO Bowl/dish 1 1 26 Base

054 UENPO Straight sided hollow


054 UENPO Hollow 1 1 7 Base Foot ring

054 UENPO Straight sided hollow



1 1 4 Handle with UHJ + LHJ

Oval handle

054 UENPO Tea bowl 1 1 1 Rim

054 UENPO Tea bowl 1 1 7 Base Foot ring

054 UENPO Tea bowl 1 1 2 Rim

054 WHITE Hollow 1 1 2 Brown under glaze slip banding

BS

054 WHITE Cup 1 1 4 Handle Oval handle

054 WHITE Dish/bowl 1 1 10 Blue under glaze lithographic print

BS

054 WHITE Oval hollow 1 1 44 Blue under glaze transfer print; geometric design

Base Pedestal base; worn basal angle

054 WHITE Dish/bowl 1 1 4 Blue under glaze transfer print; floral design

BS ?ID or PEARL

054 WHITE Hollow 1 1 1 Red paint and liquid gold under glaze; horizontal lines on body and rim edge

Rim mid/late 19th+

054 WHITE Hollow 1 1 5 Blue and brown under glaze slip banding

BS

108 CRUC Vitrified Tall straight sided

2 1 623 Base

108 UENPO ? 1 1 3 Rim Distorted

108 WHITE Small hollow

1 1 3 Blue under glaze transfer print; chinoiserie design

BS

122 CREA Cup? 1 1 2 BS


Shallow oval

1 1 229 Base Internal industrial residue


Shallow oval


122 ENGS Bottle 1 1 112 Base Brown glaze early?


Prop? 1 1 7 BS

122 PEARL Dish/bowl 2 1 58 Blue under glaze transfer print; chinoiserie design

BS Poorly applied transfer print

122 TGW Hollow 1 1 21 BS Lead backed; English

early

122 BL Oxidised; coarse

Straight sided jar



Jar/ chamber

1 1 21 Handle Oval handle with raised central rib

late 17th to 18th


Jar 1 1 187 Base Red slipped late 17th to 18th

122 BL Vitrified Drinking vessel

1 1 8 BS Late CIST or early BL

16th to early 17th


Jar 1 1 278 Base late 17th to 18th

122 CREA Jar? 1 1 30 Base Foot ring; lemon yellow tint to glaze




Curved 1 1 1063 BS ?ID or CBM/KFURN; soot

122 SAGGAR Vitrified Shallow oval

1 1 627 Profile Yellow "glaze"; internal industrial deposit



122 CRUC Light firing refractory

Tall straight sided

1 1 1021 Base External soot; cracked during firing?; unused?

122 ENGS ? 1 1 28 BS Pierced with multiple holes ca. 10mm in diameter

122 ENGS Bottle 1 1 141 Black under glaze transfer print "…EGALL…"

Rim Yellow glazed rim and neck

122 ENPO Bone china Dish 1 1 53 Blue under glaze transfer print; liquid gold horizontal band and on rim edge

Profile


Large circular prop

1 1 9 BS Fe concretions

122 MY Teapot 1 1 9 Base Vessel or counter?

122 PEARL Cup? 1 1 7 Blue under glaze transfer print; over glaze green and pink hand paint

BS ? ID or CREA

122 PEARL Small hollow

1 1 6 Blue under glaze transfer print

Neck

122 SLIP Yellow Teapot 1 1 22 Industrial blue and cream slip bands

Near profile

Cut out in lid rim

122 UENPO Hollow; jardinière?

1 1 267 Moulded floral design

BS


Bowl 1 1 28 BS Red slipped


Bowl 1 1 42 BS Red slipped

126 CREA Chamber 1 1 39 Handle Oval handle; fe concretions

126 CREA Bowl? 1 1 27 Base Foot ring


Packing strips

5 5 34 BS


Circular props

4 4 16 BS


Large circular prop

7 7 82 BS Fe concretions

126 NCBW Jug? 1 1 4 Blue under glaze slip banding

Rim

126 PEARL Small hollow

1 1 1 Blue under glaze transfer print

BS

126 UWE Cup 1 1 4 BS Fe concretions

148 SWSG Mug 1 1 4 Blue wash; rilled horizontal lines

Rim ? Late SWSG or early PEARL

149 UWE Jug/mug 1 1 5 Handle Small oval

149 UWE Small shallow oval

2 2 6 BS

149 UWE Bowl 2 1 16 Rim Upright rim; fe concretions


149 UWE Bowl 1 1 14 Rim Upright rim

149 UWE Small straight sided jar

2 1 1 Rim

149 UWE Bowl 4 4 23 Rim Upright rim; fe concretions; soot

149 UWE Bowl 6 1 65 Base Deep foot ring; fe concretions


149 UWE Small cup 1 1 1 BS

149 UWE Straight sided jar

4 1 13 Rim Upright rim; concretions


149 UWE Bowl 3 1 15 Base Deep foot ring


149 UWE Small straight sided jar

3 3 6 Rim


149 UWE ? 1 1 5 Base

149 UWE Bowl 1 1 9 Rim Upright rim

149 UWE Hollow 24 24 54 BS Some with fe concretions

150 BL Jar 1 1 9 Base late 17th to 18th


Hollow 1 1 18 BS Fe slipped; unglazed; concretions

late 17th to 18th


Jar 1 1 141 Base Fe slipped; concretions

late 17th to 18th

150 CREA Cup? 1 1 1 Blue hand painted design

BS

150 CREA ? 1 1 1 BS


Circular props

1 1 4 BS


Circular props

1 1 2 BS

150 PEARL Cup? 1 1 1 Blue under glaze transfer print

BS Misfired?

152 BL Near vitrified; coarse

Jar 1 1 17 Base late 16th to 17th

152 BL Near vitrified;

Drinking vessel


coarse

152 ENGS Small jar? 1 1 2 Rim Upright rim early?

152 TGW Bowl 2 1 6 Blue hand painted design

Rim Blue tinged glaze

154 CREA Chamber 4 1 53 Handle + BS

Oval handle; fe concretions


154 PEARL Bowl? 1 1 10 Green under glaze transfer print; floral design

Base Misfired? ear/y/mid 19th at earliest

154 UWE Hollow 1 1 4 BS Soot

175 BL Buff; coarse

Large jar 3 1 245 Rim +BS Fe slipped; fe concretions

300 PEARL Tea bowl 3 1 29 Blue under glaze transfer print; chinoiserie (dragon) design

Profile Transfer print poorly applied

CERAMIC BUILDING MATERIAL ARCHIVE

Dr Anne Boyle

Cxt Cname Fabric Subtype NoF W (g) Action Description Date

035 BRK Vitrified 70mm x 105mm x 220mm

1 3719 Complete; fairly even arrises; soot; cloth impressions?; strike marks parallel with header; handmade; slop moulded

18th to 19th

035 BRK Oxidised fine sandy

65mm x 105mm x 210mm

1 3632 Retain Complete; glass/slag on stretchers; worn arrises - possibly reused?; soot on underside

18th to 19th



1 3488 Complete; handmade; worn surface; soot; mortar; slight overhang from mould

18th to 19th

044 BRK Light firing + flint

50-60mm x 105mm x 222mm

1 2905 Retain Complete; handmade; coarsely bedded; fairly even arrises

18th to 19th



1 3642 Complete; handmade; slop moulded; fairly even arrises; heavy mortar; soot

18th to 19th



1 4273 Complete; handmade; slop moulded; patchy soot heavy on one header; fairly even arrises

18th to 19th

051

MODDRAIN 1

109 Brown glazed


1 3925 Retain Complete; soot; bricks fused together or fuel ash?

18th to 20th

054

MODDRAIN 1

79

Brown glazed

054

MODTIL

1

16

White glazed



1 3089 Complete; handmade; moulded striations; slop moulded; fabric/organic impressions; coarsely bedded; mortar

18th to 19th



1 3185 Complete; handmade; slop moulded and sand bedded; uneven arrises; patchy soot

18th to 19th

122 BRK 80mm x 112mm x 185mm

1 3179 Near complete; rectangular frog upper and lower; cream glaze on one stretcher and brown glaze on other; even arrises

Late 18th to 19th

122

MODDRAIN 1

29

Brown glazed



1 3750 Complete; handmade; slop moulded and sand bedded; mortar covering 3/4 of lower flat; fairly even arrises

18th to 19th



1 3124 Complete; mortar; fairly even arrises; slop moulded?; handmade

18th to 19th


65mm x 100mm x

1 2878 Near complete; handmade; sunken margin at header end; slop

18th to 19th

+ large pebbles

210mm moulded and sand bedded; patchy soot

132 BRK Oxidised fine sandy + ca


1 2811 Complete; handmade; slop moulded; fairly even arrises; mortar; strike marks; coarsely bedded

18th to 19th

132 BRK Light firing calcareous

65mm x 110mm x 210mm+

1 3142 Retain Near complete; soot; fairly even arrises; stamped "HICKMAN & CO STOURBRIDGE"; handmade

(18th) to 19th

132 BRK Light firing calcareous


1 3231 Retain Complete; fairly even arrises; soot; mortar

18th to 19th

135 BRK Vitrified 60mm x 112mm x 140-150mm

1 2565 Retain Half brick; handmade; fairly even arrises; cut to shape post firing; soot; slop moulded

18th to 19th



1 3241 Complete; strike marks parallel to header; slightly sunken margins; soot; spalled; slop moulded with sanded sides; handmade

18th to 19th


1 3261 Near complete; sunken margin; mortar; slight over hang from mould

18th to 20th



1 4478 Retain Complete; fairly even arrises; soot; handmade; mortar; strike marks; slop moulded?

18th to 19th



1 3164 Complete; slop moulded and sand bedded; fairly even arrises; mortar

18th to 19th

146 BRK Oxidised fine sandy + large pebbles


1 2879 Near complete; possible early industrial frog off centre?; soot; mortar; fairly even arrises

Late 18th to 19th


62mm x 95-100mm x 210mm

1 3028 Complete; fairly even arrises; mortar; strike marks

18th to 20th


70mm x - x -

1 3193 Retain Handmade?; cut to shape?; corner 18th to 19th


120mm x 150mm x 145mm+

1 5250 Retain Shaped brick - bull nose header; soot; mortar

18th to 19th


65mm x 90mm x 60mm+

1 801 Retain Cut to size post firing?; soot; shaped brick - bull nose stretcher

18th to 19th



1 3272 Retain Complete; fairly even arrises; mortar; slightly sunken margin; shaped brick - bull nose header

18th to 19th


1 3506 Near complete; shaped - one arrises along stretcher diagonally cut away; handmade?; rounded early industrial frog

Late 18th to 19th

303 BRK 73mm x 108mm x x223mm

1 3976 Complete; handmade; fairly even arrises; soot on one face; bedded on sharp sand; fe/slag concretion;

18th to 19th

mortar



1 3288 Retain Complete; heavy mortar; slop moulded with sanded sides; strike marks parallel with header; fairly even arrises

(18th) to 19th



1 3471 Retain Complete; handmade; mortar; cracked; mould mark?; strike marks; unevenly bedded; slop moulded with sanded sides; fairly uneven arrises; patchy soot

(18th) to 19th

ABBREVIATIONS

BS Body sherd

CXT Context

CBM Ceramic Building Material

LHJ Lower Handle Join

NoS Number of sherds

NoV Number of vessels

TR Trench

UHJ Upper Handle Join

W (g) Weight (grams)

Appendix 5: AN EVALUATION OF THE CHARRED PLANT MACROFOSSILS AND OTHER

REMAINS FROM POST-MEDIEVAL INDUSTRIAL DEPOSITS AT BIRMINGHAM

EASTSIDE

(BIES 07)

Val Fryer, Church Farm, Sisland, Loddon, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 6EF

January 2008

Introduction and method statement

Evaluation excavations at Birmingham Eastside, undertaken by Archaeological Project Services,

revealed features associated with a post-medieval glass works. Three samples were taken to evaluate

the deposits and ascertain whether plant macrofossils were present within the archaeological horizon.

The samples were processed by manual water flotation/washover and the flots from samples 1 and 2

were collected in a 500 micron mesh sieve. Sample 3 produced no flot, but consisted entirely of non-

floating residue. The flots were scanned under a binocular microscope at magnifications up to x 16 and

the material noted is listed below.

Results

The flot from sample 1 was large (approximately 1.1 litres in volume) and consisted almost entirely of

lightweight, black, porous material. Other materials included small charcoal and coal fragments,

cream/brown vitreous globules and small fragments of glass (principally of a green colour). The flot

from sample 2 was very small (<0.1 litres in volume) and entirely composed of black porous material.

Conclusions

The composition of the current assemblages appears to indicate that plant fuels (i.e. wood/charcoal)

either did not survive the high temperatures of combustion used during the manufacturing process

(approximately 1400 degrees), or were little used.

Recommendations for further work

As plant macrofossils appear to be so scarce within the assemblages, sampling from any future

excavations may not be worthwhile, although control samples should probably be taken as a safeguard.

Sample No. 1 2

Context No. 043 137

Charcoal <2mm xx

Black porous ‘cokey’ material xxxx xxxx

Black tarry material xx

Glass frags. x

Small coal frags. x

Vitreous globules xx

Sample volume (litres) 10ss 1

Volume of flot (litres) 1.1 <0.1

% flot sorted <10% 100%

Table 1. Charred plant macrofossils and other remains from post-medieval industrial deposits at

Birmingham Eastside.


Appendix 6

GLOSSARY

Context An archaeological context represents a distinct archaeological event or process. For

example, the action of digging a pit creates a context (the cut) as does the process of its

subsequent backfill (the fill). Each context encountered during an archaeological

investigation is allocated a unique number by the archaeologist and a record sheet

detailing the description and interpretation of the context (the context sheet) is created

and placed in the site archive. Context numbers are identified within the report text by

brackets, e.g. [004].

Cut A cut refers to the physical action of digging a posthole, pit, ditch, foundation trench,

etc. Once the fills of these features are removed during an archaeological investigation

the original 'cut' is therefore exposed and subsequently recorded.

Fill Once a feature has been dug it begins to silt up (either slowly or rapidly) or it can be

back-filled manually. The soil(s) that become contained by the 'cut' are referred to as its

fill(s).

Layer A layer is a term used to describe an accumulation of soil or other material that is not

contained within a cut.

Medieval The Middle Ages, dating from approximately AD 1066-1500.

Natural Undisturbed deposit(s) of soil or rock which have accumulated without the influence of

human activity

Post-medieval The period following the Middle Ages, dating from approximately AD 1500-1800.


Appendix 7

THE ARCHIVE

The archive consists of:

11 Context register sheets

207 Context sheets

1 Plan record sheet

1 Section record sheet

62 Drawing sheets

4 Photographic record sheets

3 Environmental sample sheets

29 Levels sheets

35 Daily record sheets

? Boxes of finds

All primary records are currently kept at:


The Old School

Cameron Street

Heckington

Sleaford

Lincolnshire

NG34 9RW

The ultimate destination of the project archive is:

Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery

The archive will be deposited in accordance with the document titled Conditions for the Acceptance of Project

Archives, produced by the Lincolnshire City and County Museum.

Birmingham City Museum Accession Number:

Archaeological Project Services Site Code: BIES07

The discussion and comments provided in this report are based on the archaeology revealed during the site

investigations. Other archaeological finds and features may exist on the development site but away from the areas

exposed during the course of this fieldwork. Archaeological Project Services cannot confirm that those areas

unexposed are free from archaeology nor that any archaeology present there is of a similar character to that

revealed during the current investigation.

Archaeological Project Services shall retain full copyright of any commissioned reports under the Copyright,

Designs and Patents Act 1988 with all rights reserved; excepting that it hereby provides an exclusive licence to the

client for the use of such documents by the client in all matters directly relating to the project as described in the

Project Specification.

ashted archaeological report

Documents