Old-Pottery at Wises
Click here for the original (that MIGHT disappear)
Pottery Sherds and other finds from 'Wises'
15th - 16th century pottery jug, both in the ground, and cleaned and reassembled
The pottery shown here originates from the site of the properties once located at Saints Hill, in the field known as Wises, bordering the S.W. of the churchyard. While metal detecting the now open field, we came across a large amount of pottery, animal bone, ashes, charcoal and burnt daub, amongst other things, in and under the plough soil - probably the remains of a midden or similar waste disposal area. Several small holes dug in the surrounding area revealed an extensive deposit of such remains.
The finds were passed to the Dorset County Council Archeological Dept. for identification. The report on the pottery showed that it dated from a wide timespan, the earliest being 12th to 13th century (coincidental with the building of the church, the earliest known building of the modern village) and the most recent 19th century (during which the properties occupying the site are believed to have been destroyed by fire). Interestingly, the finds where out of context - ie. all the 12th to 13th shards were found ABOVE (at a shallower depth) the 15th - 16th century jug shown above, and the differing pottery was well mixed throughout the lower 10 inches of the 16 inches depth we dug. There could be many explanations for this, including disturbance by animals in the past (ie. pigs or rats, as might be attracted to midden) or disturbance by man. Another possibility is that the remains have washed into the area over a period of time from the surrounds. Hopefully in time we will know more.
Interesting to us was the slight 'gap' in the record around the 14th century - the plague century. Local theory has it that Belchalwell all but died out in the plague years, with even the Rector being taken in 1361, and the church falling into disrepair, and the relative absence of finds from around this time would seem to support this.
In all approx. 100 shards came from a hole just 18 inches square and 16 inches deep, as well as an equal number of the other assorted artifacts.
More recently, we dug another small exploratory hole nearby in an effort to locate where the buildings on the site had stood. Much pottery similar to the later finds from the above dig was uncovered in the top 14 inches, along with a surprising number of what we belive to be mid 17th - early 18th century clay pipes. These overlayed a rough stone floor or yard of some kind, solidly set in the subsoil, made from mixed flint and other stone fragments, the latter not belonging to the immediate local geology. Also found was a small button, appearing to made from jet or similar material, with a flower decoration painted on. Hopefully, we will have much more information on these finds soon.
FINDING OUR PAST - REPORT FOR FINDER
Finders: Gill Myers & Kevin Varley
Finds from 'Wises', Belchalwell
Grid reference: ST 7920 0975
Pottery JAR
4 conjoining sherds of orange oxidised fabric with reduced grey core. Fine sand temper and voids. Internal surface has a matt grey coating of degraded glaze. Everted jar rim.
Date. Post-medieval - 17th to 19th century?
1911
Pottery JARS
4 sherds of red oxidised fabric with mid-grey reduced cores. Fine sand temper with occasional voids. 1 base from a jar with concentric bands of slip with a green glaze over. 2 conjoining base sherds from a similar jar with knife trimming around the base. 1 rim sherd from a jar? Donyatt wares.
Date: Post-medieval – 17th to 19th century?
1907
Pottery BOWL
4 sherds of Reduced grey fabric with patchy reddish oxidisation on internal surfaces. Fine sand temper. There are two large conjoining sherds from one vessel and two smaller from another. All are rim sherds. At the rim and below it are applied plain cordon-like bands of clay decoration. The outside of the vessel appears sooted.
Date Post-medieval – 18th century
1908
Pottery JARS
17 sherds of red oxidised pottery with reduced grey core. Fine sand and occasional haematite temper. Clear wheel-throwing lines. Patches of very degraded internal glazing – mostly retained as a matt pinkish covering with occasional remnants of a brownish glaze. Some external sooting. 14 are body sherds, probably from jars. 2 conjoining pieces are rim sherds from a jar. The rim is wide and flat-topped. It is cupped.
Date Post medieval – 17th to 18th century?
Pottery PANCHEON
1 sherd pale orange oxidised fabric. Very smooth with some sand temper and occasional voids. Internal brownish glaze. Rim sherd from a pancheon (used for cheese making and in the dairy).
Date: 17th to 18thcentury
1909
Pottery BOWL
1 sherd of red oxidised fabric with reduced grey core. Fine sand and occasional haematite temper. Internally glazed with zigzag and horizontal line scraffito decoration. Rim sherd. Wide, everted rim.
Date: Post- medieval – 17th century
1905
Pottery JUG
1 sherd from internally and externally glazed jug. Reduced grey fabric with Orange oxidised fabric with patches of reduction or reduced core. Fine sand temper with occasional stone flecks and voids. Patchy, heavy, dark green to greenish-brown glaze internally and externally. Wheel-thrown.
1 body sherd with narrow cordon.
Date: Post – medieval 17th century
Pottery CUP
2 conjoining sherds from internally and externally glazed cup. Reduced grey fabric with occasional oxidisation under the glaze. Fine sand temper with occasional stone flecks and voids. Heavy, dark green, glossy glaze. Wheel-thrown.
2 rim sherds. Plain rim with wide cordon below.
Date: Post – medieval 17th century
Pottery JARS
14 sherds (including 2 groups of 2 conjoining sherds) from internally glazed jars. Reduced grey fabric with occasional oxidisation under the glaze. Fine sand temper with occasional stone flecks and voids. Heavy dark green internal glaze with external splashes and trails on several sherds. Wheel-thrown.
8 body sherds. 3 base sherds. Flat bases.
Date: Post – medieval 17th century
1906
Pottery VESSELS
5 body sherds. Reduced grey fabric with Orange oxidised fabric with patches of reduction or reduced core. Fine sand temper with occasional stone flecks and voids. Patchy, heavy, dark green to greenish-brown glaze internally and externally.
Date: Post – medieval 17th century
1915
Pottery CHAMBER POT (probably)
1 sherd of an oxidised dull red fabric with a reduced dark grey core. Fine sand temper. Internally and externally glazed and glazed upper surface of the rim. The glaze appears over-fired (it is thickened and has bubbles in it). The colour of the glaze is not discernable. The rim is everted to 90 degrees.
Date: 16th to 17th century
1910
Pottery BOTTLE/JUG
2 conjoining sherds of mottled pale brown stoneware. Greyish white fabric with salt glaze externally. Plain rim and neck of vessel.
Date: Late medieval to post medieval – 16th to 17th century
1913
Pottery BOWL
2 sherds of pale grey reduced fabric with patchy pale pink oxidisation on the external surface. Abundant rounded quartz sand temper and frequent voids. Occasional larger pieces of stone. Internally glazed with a heavy brownish green glaze.
Date: Post-medieval – 16th to 17th century
1914
Pottery JAR
2 conjoining rim sherds of an oxidised dull red fabric with a reduced dark grey core. Fine sand temper. Internally glazed and glazed upper surface of the rim. The rim is wide and very everted with a thickened and flattened outer edge. The green glaze appears over-fired (it is thickened and has bubbles in it). There are also a firing fracture and a void in the rim. These indicate that this is a “second” or waster.
Date: 16th to 17th century
1918
Pottery VESSEL
1 sherd of oxidised red fabric with dark grey reduction on the outer surfaces and under the green internal glaze. Tempered with fine sand and occasional haematite flecks. Body sherd.
Date: 16th to 17th century
Pottery CUP
1 sherd of oxidised red fabric. Fine sand temper and occasional larger stone pieces (up to 5mm). Thick green glaze externally and internally which has been abraded to a matt texture. Rim sherd from a small cup with a flared neck above a slight cordon and carination.
Date: 16th to 17th century
1916
Pottery VESSEL
1 sherd pinkish white fabric with fine sand temper and occasional haematite flecks. Internal pale green glaze.
Date:16th to 17th century
Pottery JUG
10 sherds (5 conjoining sherds and 5 sherds that may be part of the same vessel). Oxidised red fabric with a pale grey reduced core. Fine sand temper with frequent grog and occasional stone pieces. Wheel-thrown.
1 large base sherd (about half of base remaining) and 4 body sherds conjoin. The base has a slightly flared foot. One of the body sherds has the stub of a handle remaining. There are traces or external greenish-yellow glaze which has a defined edge around the girth towards the base. There are also traces of degraded glaze splashes internally.
5 sherds of the same fabric. 4 body sherds. 1 rim sherd from a jug, which is flat topped and slightly everted with traces of a handle attached flush with the top of the rim.
Date: Post medieval – 15th to 16th century
1924
Pottery JUG (probably)
2 sherds of a reduced grey fabric with some patchy surface oxidisation. Fine sand temper. External green glaze. Body sherds, probably from jugs.
Date: 14th to 15th century
Pottery JAR
5 sherds of a buff to red fabric with abundant rounded sand temper (up to 1mm). 1 rim sherd from a jar with deep lid seating, 1 everted rim sherd from a jar, and 3 body sherds. External sooting.
Date: 12th to 13thcentury
Pottery JAR
2 sherds of a reduced fabric with fine sand temper. Thin walled body sherds. Cooking pots.
Date: 12th to 13thcentury
Pottery VESSEL
2 sherds of a reduced brownish grey fabric with red oxidised internal surface. Abundant coarse flint and sand temper. Probably “Ilchester ware” (note: this ware is likely in fact to have been made in Devon). Small body sherds. Handmade?
Date: Medieval – 12th to 13th century
Pottery JAR
2 sherds of an oxidised fabric with fine sand temper. Thin walled body sherds with external sooting. Cooking pots.
Date: 12th to 13th century
In addition:
1/ 1 piece of copper alloy strapping with hand-made copper alloy rivets – not closely datable.
2/ 26 sherds of unidentified pottery - not closely datable or 19th century.
3/ 1 piece of clay pipe stem – 18th to 19th century.
4/ Traces of charcoal and ash.
5/ Burnt daub from wattle and daub building of unknown age.
6/ A variety of animal and bird bones and teeth of unknown age.
(Thanks to Julian Richards, Sue Lobb and Dorset County Council Portable Antiquities Scheme for their help with identification)
