More information : [Area centred SU 2114]
The New Forest Romano-British Pottery Kilns.
New Forest Ware was made in the New Forest during the third and fourth centuries and distributed widely south of the Thames. The ware exhibits much variety, including creamy fabric with a red or brown colour coat, sometimes with stamped decoration, and a distinctive hard, grey fabric with a purple colour-coat, often with a metallic lustre. (a)
For over three-quarters of a century, the New forest potteries have had their place in the archaeology of Roman Britain. The first discoveries at Crock Hill were made by the Rev. J.P. Bartlett in 1852 and our secretary Akerman's paper on these, together with J.R Wise's work at Island Thorns and elsewhere soon made 'New Forest Ware'as familiar a household word as 'Castor' or 'Upchurch' in the mouths of Victorian antiquaries. These researchers made it clear that the potteries flourished mainly in the latter part of the Roman period: not only do we hear of no associations with 'Samian' (Terra Sigillata) but the majority of the coin finds, rare as they were, were later than the middle of the third century. (b)
The practical genius of the Romans for discovering and utilizing natural resources, and for making roads, created a manufacturing pottery industry in the New Forest. The soil, though poor for agriculture, was rich in materials needed for pottery production, namely clay of varied sorts, sand, sandstone for kiln construction, with fuel and water, all at hand. In the third and fourth centuries, A.D, a Romanized pottery industry was established in this district, conducted in a new manner, not only to satisfy the needs of local customers but also those of far distant customers. No evidence was found suggesting that the industry ended in catastrophe. The evidence from excavation rather indicated that the kilns were gradually abandoned, probably owing to lack of customers after the Roman evacuation of Britain in the fifth century A.D. (2)
Individual Romano-British kiln sites have been dealt with in greater detail (within the Monarch database) as separate child records. (3)
The New Forest pottery kilns lie scattered in clusters over an area of 60 sq km, east of the R Avon with one exception, and away from major roads. This industry, producing colour coated wares, painted parchment wares, mortaria and grey local type kitchen vessels, was apparently established soon after the middle of the 3rd century. There is no evidence of any earlier specialist production in the region. On present evidence the area does not seem to have supported a large population in the Roman period. This was probably because intensive prehistoric settlement forest clearance and cultivation, particulary in the late Neolithic - Bronze Age had resulted in soil deterioration. These conditions may have aided the growth of a substantial new Roman pottery industry with kilns spread over a wide area, since good clay and sand were plentiful but the land not particulary valuable for agriculture. Until a reassessment within the last decade, many of the New Forest kiln structures had been misunderstood. This arose from Heywood Sumner's misinterpretation of the results of his kiln-excavations in the 1920s. Excavations in the 1950s and 1960s, including the re-excavation of one of Sumner's kilns, however, made possible a reinterpretation of his work. It established without doubt the existence of a standard type of New Forest kiln. (4)
The New Forest Kilns tend to be found in small clusters of three or more kilns, and may reflect the process of abandonment of individual kilns, representing a relatively unsophisticated pottery industry. Fulford (5) argues that each kiln site was probably operated by a maximum of two potters and that production was seasonal. Associated structures include a possible working area and potters hut. The latter was excavated by Sumner. Reinterpretation of the evidence has lead to the discovery of another possible kiln. Other features include drainage channels and quernstones which were used either as kickstones or for grinding materials for slips, tempers or trituration grits in mortaria.
Some of the excavated kilns demonstrated a degree of specialization, producing only greywares, but the typical New Forest kiln produced both greywares and colour-coated wares and were in production from the mid third century AD. The pottery, especially the colour-coated wares, were avaliable in a limited range of forms. However, by the mid fourth century there was increased production with a greater variety of pottery types available. A new addition included the range of red slipped bowls and has been interpreted as a response to increased competition by the Oxfordshire Kilns.
The kilns ceased production by the early fifth century AD. The main reasons are thought to be due to a decrease in demand, rising costs and competition from the Oxfordshire Kilns. (5-7)
A gradiometer survey commissioned by RCHME of the area of pottery production centred on Sloden Hole (SU 21361299) was carried out in July 1993. The survey successfully recorded the remains of three possible kilns and some associated features. Fallen trees and dense undergrowth limited the amount of detailed recorded survey that could be carried out and it is likely that more features were not recorded. (8)
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