Medieval pottery and post-medieval domestic finds at The Talbots, Church Road, Thorrington (EHER 80580)

2007 Test Pit 4 contained medieval pottery. The rest of the finds from 2006 Test Pit 2 and 2007 Test Pit 4 were restricted to the 19th to 20th century.

June 2006. Test Pit 2. A range of post medieval pottery types were excavated from test pit two and consist of Glazed Red Earthenware, Blackware, Staffordshire Slipware and White Salt-glazed Stoneware, all of which were recovered mixed through contexts one and three. Victorian pottery dominated the assemblage that was also found through the upper three contexts of Test Pit 2. All the activity identified from Test Pit 2, suggests there was no occupation on site prior to the 16th century, and the peak of activity appears to have been during the 19th century, potentially when the house was built, which had also disturbed the archaeology and to which the majority of the finds date. These consist of slate, coal, glass, CBM, concrete, iron nails, animal bone and a milk bottle top with metal buttons, a shotgun cartridge and clay pipe, all of which were found mixed through the four contexts excavated. <1> May 2007. Test Pit 4. Two sherds of pottery were excavated to date to the medieval period; the Essex Redware and Late Medieval Colchester ware were both identified from context five. An additional sherd of German Stoneware dating to the very end of the medieval period was also recovered from context four. A range of post medieval wares were recovered and include Glazed Red Earthenware, Delft Ware, Staffordshire Slipware and Staffordshire White Salt-Glazed Stoneware which were excavated through the test pit, but especially towards the base. The vast majority of the pottery however dates to the Victorian period and was recovered from the upper five contexts of Test Pit 4. The medieval activity in Thorrington identified from test pitting appears to be quite scattered through the village and represented as probable isolated farmsteads that are also all set back from the current road. The amount of activity then increases into the post medieval, potentially relating to the construction of the house, as the village grows and peaks into the Victorian period. The finds recovered include CBM, iron nails, coal, plastic and rubber, window and bottle glass, modern tile and scrap metal with animal bone, oyster shell, clay pipe, slate, a shotgun cartridge and potential burnt stone (that may be later prehistoric in date) and mixed through the six excavated contexts. <1>