Medieval Tile Kilns, Eves Corner (EHER 5628)

Medieval tile factory identified at Danbury. The factory was first noted during construction of a water pipe line in 1939 when a kiln (kiln 1) was discovered. Excavations in 1972-74 identified a factory complex comprising three timber framed buildings interpreted as workmen's accommodation, a workshop and a drying shed. Nearby were two kilns situated within an enclosure. Both of the kilns had two parallel flues and were constructed of peg tile fragments. Kiln 1 measured 2 metres by 2.20 metres. The stoke hole had a tile built staircase on the west side. Kiln 2 was constructed within a pit which was 1.10 metres deep, the kiln chamber was 2.4 metres long with walls 0.5 metres thick. The kilns produced a range of tiles which included peg tiles, ridge tiles, plan and decorated floor tiles. Production took place from about 1275 until about 1335. The finds are present in Colchester Museum and Chelmsford and Essex Museum.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Excavation, 1939 Tile kiln found whilst digging water main in reservoir field, part excavated in 1939. Finds from the excavation are in Colchester Museum, photos also <1>-<4> The tile kiln was found in April 1939 during pipelaying for a small, covered reservoir. The trench cut through the stoke pit and the firing chamber. The records, with some finds, are in Colchester Museum. <6> Some were acquired years after the original discovery. In 1973 tiles were brought to Chelmsford Museum for identification. They came from a second kiln that had been sectioned by a trench for a watermain to replace that of 1939, in advance of construction of a larger reservoir. Excavations, 1973 and 1974 Trial excavations in 1973 were followed by full scale excavations in 1974. Medieval boundary ditches from the tile factory enclosure still survived, approximately in their original positions. Hollows along the east side of Little Baddow Road are probably from pit-digging to obtain materials. The boundary ditches were located in the excavations, on three sides. Within the enclosure three buildings and the two kilns were excavated, in the southern part of the enclosure, served by slight hollow ways. Building A had two phases and was, apparently, not a primary feature. In phase I the walls were defined by slots (presumably for timbers). It may have had two opposed entrances in the west and east sides. There was no evident floor level. In phase 2 this building was rebuilt on the same plan, with a tile plinth for a timber sill. A domestic function was suggested for this building, possibly temporary accommodation for watching over the firing overnight and a rest room by day. A pyramidal roof structure is suggested. The use of discontinuous trenches for the wall trenches seemed a rare technique for Essex. The phase 2 technique is paralleled by 14th century buildings in Essex. Building B was located to the north of kiln and was built shortly after it. One of its walls had timbers set in trenches apparently, with the other walls having their timbers directly on the ground leaving no trace. Several phases were identified. Internal features were interpreted as the remains of working installations. The building was extended during its lifetime, more than doubling in size in phase three. Tile sills were used in this phase to support the walling. A feature interpreted as a fireplace was found. A series of hearths was also excavated. A possible lean-to structure was identified to the east of building B, with a small extension to the main structure, possibly, to the east. In the final phase, four, further reconstruction was indicated. This building is interpreted as a workshop, close to kiln 1. Of the internal features, a fireplace is suggested, hearths to prepare glaze, foundations possibly to support a wooden hut or cistern (possibly lead-lined), a possible foundation for a work bench, probably four bases for moulding tables or blocks-indicating provision for four workers moulding tiles at the same time. (Part of kiln 1's stoke pit had been destroyed by the 1939 water main and subsequent excavations. On excavation in 1974 the kiln was found to be 2m x 2.2m internally. The kiln walls were largely of broken peg tile halves, in clay, against the sides of the pit. The first wall was thicker, being freestanding. The lower part of this wall had two arched openings. The kiln was divided internally into thin chambers by a thin wall. The kiln floor was forced by building up six arched cross walls, each wall having a pair of arches. The stoke pit walls sloped steeply and the spaces between these and the tile walls was filled with soil, tile fragments and bonding courses of tiles. The stoke pit walls on the east and west seemed to be secondary. The unwalled south side was suggested to be original. Its foot was retained by a sill of peg tile fragments. Two probable post settings in the top of the sill were probably for parts of a timber brace to prevent collapse of the east and west walls of the stoke pit. It is suggested that these walls were later built up from a similar sill. Probably the south wall had a hatch in the timber frame for loading of fuel. A tile staircase was provided on the west side down to the working floor. The firing platform in front of the kiln had been cut away by the 1939 trench but was possibly similar to that in front of kiln 2 (see below). It is suggested that the pit was roofed with timber. Three phases of development are put forward: a kiln chamber with simple stoke pit, lined with timber or unlined then the stoke pit was walled and the staircase built and finally, it is possible, a timber superstructure was provided (Such a structure could have existed in the 2nd phase, being destroyed later). A suggested reconstruction is given for this kiln, using kiln furniture that was found. The use of a temporary tile roof seemed to be indicated. Approximately 11,000 tiles could have been fired simultaneously using the suggested stacking arrangements. Kiln 2 had been badly damaged by the 1972 pipe trench, its eastern half being cut away. It too was built of coursed peg tile fragments. About half of the arch over the western firing tunnel survived. The surviving arrangements showed that the kiln's internal arrangements were similar to those of kiln 1. Two successive floor levels were uncovered, the lower one of these itself not being original. The floor levels were continued in the stoke pit by two successive firing platforms. In the stoke pit the lower parts of the walls were retained by coursed tile walls. There was a suggestion that steps had been cut into the side of the pit. Adjacent pits were interpreted as water tanks. It is suggested that this kiln was an open 'scotch' kiln. If so, then kiln 1 may have produced the floor tiles and kiln 2 the other products. In fact, the kiln products were mostly peg tile rather than glazed floor tiles. The kiln 2 area had three phases. In phase one the kiln was built, in the second an adjacent timber building seems to have been built, in phase three the kiln went out of use and the building may have been reconstructed in part. There were no signs of divisions or internal features in the building (building C). It was interpreted as a drying shed with largely open sides and roof posts on timber sills. Warm air from the adjacent kiln would have assisted drying. There few stratigraphic relationships between structures. A sequence was suggested beginning with kiln 1. The tile lapses between construction of the structures was probably short. A workshop, building B, would have been needed from the start. Building A was built later. Kiln 2 may predate this and the kiln certainly predated building C. The suggested date limits for the whole factory are 1275-1285 to 1325-1335. Finds included the kiln products themselves. These comprised peg tiles, ridge tiles, hip tiles, plain floor tiles and decorated floor tiles (a total of 119 designs are known). Various designs are represented on the latter- heraldic, floriate, zoomorphic, grotesque, geometric, figures, some tiles were also inscribed. The floor tiles were for use in borders, for plain floors, for patterns. Some tiles were also used structurally and have been found reused at sites in Essex such as the Dominican Priory, Chelmsford. These tiles and the kiln furniture were mostly unglazed. Other finds included copper alloy objects- a probable brooch, a small buckle, a strap end, a small lump of lead (probably spillage), a small iron knife, an iron object, a bar section and iron nails. Late 13th-early 14th century pottery was found as were animal bones and charcoal. Animal footprints (goat and dog) were preserved on some tiles. The manufacture of the tiles was tested experimentally and it is suggested that the 'stamp-on-slip' method was used for producing decorated floor tiles, i.e.. the slip was applied before stamping. It was found that the clay of the slip was probably china clay from the Devon-Cornwall region. Various influences can be detected on the decorated tile patterns, the earliest being the floor of the Westminster Abbey Chapter House (finished by 1258 or 1259). The principle early influence was the Central Essex Group. The main contribution of the Danbury tiles seems to have been a series of border tiles, mostly with zoomorphic designs, and the development of simple floriate and geometric designs. The distribution of Danbury products is discussed and plotted, seemingly to have been largely confined to the Chelmer Valley in contrast to previous work which concentrated on the kilns and the decorated floor tiles form, but a small proportion of total output of floor and roof tiles. The Danbury kilns are seen as intermediate between often earlier, kilns set up for single customers and larger scale mostly 14th century, industries such as at Penn , Buckinghamshire<5> <6>. Detailed separately is a stone mortar that may have come from Danbury. 7 photos of the site are in the record <9> Other refs: <10> <11> The stoke hole of kiln 1 is 'unusually architectural' <14> SITE ASSESSMENT: Probably the most complete tile kiln so far found. SITE MANAGEMENT: It was hoped that kiln 1 could be preserved and a building erected over it for public exhibition. After excavation it was filled in and the site fenced off from construction works <5> Plans and elevations are in the SMR. Correspondence in SMR possibly relates to this? <12> <13> Scheduled Essex No 188. The stoke hole of kiln 1 is 'unusually architectural' <14> Site visit, 1976 The site is now scheduled. Finds in Chelmsford Museum. <15> Site visit, 1987 The scheduled area is centred at TL 7841 0530, and measures 7.8m WNW-ESE by 11.9m SSW-NNE. Recently the iron palings around the kiln have been replaced by concrete kerb stones set into the ground delimiting the four corners of the SAM. The kiln itself has been backfilled. Fragments of tile within the backfill are presumably modern rather than waste from the kiln itself. Surveyed at 1:2500. <16> Additional reference <17>