Post-medieval pit with pottery production waste in the grounds of Copt Hall, Stock (EHER 80749)

The pit contained evidence of pottery production waste and kiln furniture, perhaps from nearby.

September to October 2017. Trial trenching. Stock is known to have been a centre for the production of glazed earthenware pottery in the post-medieval period, and the industry is believed to have been active over a long period, broadly from the 16th to the 19th centuries. However, although finds of pottery manufacture waste have been recovered from several sites, the physical remains of any pottery kilns have yet to be located. It can be noted that the remains of a kiln have been located at Stock Bowling Club but was associated with debris from the manufacture of brick and tile rather than pottery. Although it might be possible for the production waste in the pit to have been dumped here from elsewhere (and modern glass is reported as bring present among it) the more likely reason for its presence is that it comes from a pottery kiln operating on or close to the site. Close-dating of the pottery from the feature is difficult, but the fabric of the glazed red earthenware sherds appears consistent with the later ‘low fired and brickearth fabrics’ most usually associated with a the later phase of post-medieval red earthenware production in the late 17th to early 19th century. <1>