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Test-Pit 38: 21 Market Place (SK 40658 03044)

Test-pit 38 was excavated in lawn in the rear garden of 21 Market Place, on the eastern side of the street at SK

40658 03044 (Figure 1). Over two days on 21-22 July 2018, the test-pit was dug to a depth of 1.1m with eleven

spits recorded. The excavation was carried out by Jane Board and team.

Figure 1: Excavation of Test-Pit 38. Looking east.

Figure 2: Test-Pit 38 post-excavation. Looking north.

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During the excavation, c.0.4m of turf and greyish-brown sandy-silt topsoil (Spits 1-4) was removed. Beneath

this was c.0.7m of greyish-orange silty-sand subsoil (Spits 4-11). The natural substratum, compact brownish-

orange sandy-gravel, was reached at the base of the test-pit c.1.1m below the ground. No archaeological

features or deposits were recorded (Figure 2).

In all, 779 individual finds (18.221kg) were recovered from the test-pit (Table 1). Post-medieval and modern

material was found throughout the test-pit and it was evident that the ground here was extensively reworked

in the past. This included 314 pieces of post-medieval/modern building material, predominately brick and tile

rubble, and lime mortar. Pottery from all levels of the test-pit included 314 sherds of modern and later post-

medieval china, cream ware, glazed earthenware, mottled ware, slipware, stoneware and salt glazed ware

(c.1650-present). There was also 8 sherds of earlier post-medieval Surrey whiteware, Midland Blackware and

Midland Yellow ware (c.1550-1650), as well as 3 sherds of later medieval Midland Purple ware (c.375-1550),

4 sherds of medieval Chilvers Coton ware and sandy ware (c.1250-1400), and a single sherd of Roman

Derbyshire ware (AD c.43-410) - Figure 3.

Figure 3: Medieval (bottom left), late medieval (top left) and Roman (right) pot from TP 38.

Figure 4: Other finds from TP 38: the neck of a pewter flask (top left), the bone handle of a pocket knife (top right) and

a piece of clay tobacco pipe stamped with the makers marks ‘I’ and ‘H’ (bottom).

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Other finds included 13 pieces of clay tobacco pipe (c.1650-194) including part of a fluted pipe bowl of late

19th-century date stamped with the maker’s mark ‘I’ and ‘H’ on either side of the spur (Figure 4). This

relatively small assemblage contrasts significantly with the large quantity of clay tobacco pipe found in Test-

pit 11, only 5m to the south in the rear garden of 23 Market Place (part of the same row of cottages). The

assemblage from Test-pit 11 was suggested to be evidence of manufacture or sale of clay tobacco pipes on the

premises. If this is the case, contrasting quantities of material from the two test-pits suggests that this was

either taking place at the southern end of the row of cottages or, more likely, broken pipe material was being

discarded in a refuse dump on the southern side of the property.

The test-pit also produced 40 sherds of modern bottle and window glass, 6 iron nails, a bottle cap, a plastic

button, part of a pewter flask, and the bone and iron handle of a pocket knife (Figure 4). A small quantity of

animal bone, some exhibiting butchery marks was also present, along with some iron slag, clinker, coal and

charcoal. This was in sufficient quantity to suggest metalworking may have been taking place nearby.

The presence of material of mixed periods throughout the test-pit is a clear indication that the ground here was

extensively reworked in the past. Overall, and combined with Test-pit 11, the two test-pits have produced

nothing to suggest significant activity on the site before the late 15th or 16th century, with the bulk of the

assemblage, particularly the pottery and clay tobacco pipe, indicating sustained habitation only from the mid

17th century onwards. This makes it possible that the row of three late 17th-century timber-framed buildings

(19-23) which presently line the street frontage are the first buildings to occupy the site, with the bulk of the

finds assemblage relating to the occupation of these buildings rather than earlier structures.

Two pieces of flint debitage, a core on flake and a flint core, waste from the initial stages of flint knapping,

were also found in the test-pit. This suggests flint knapping was taking place nearby, most likely in the

Neolithic period or the Bronze Age (c.4000-700 BC), and is good evidence for prehistoric activity in the

vicinity. Whilst the small quantity of Roman, medieval and later medieval pottery was most likely introduced

to the soil through manuring cultivated ground with domestic waste transported from elsewhere.

Table 1: Catalogue of finds from Test-Pit 38.

Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

38 1 BM 6 Lime mortar Unknown

38 1 Bone 4 Misc animal bone Unknown

38 1 CBM 103 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 1 CBM 2 Greyish blue tile Modern 12mm thick

38 1 Clay pipe 3 Clay tobacco pipe

stem fragment Modern 1.6mm diam. bore

38 1 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

bowl Modern

Fluted bowl, spur, late 19th C, stamped

with letters ‘I’ and ‘H’ on either side of

spur

38 1 Flint 1 Flint - core on

flake Neolithic/Bronze Age

38 1 Glass 1 Clear flat privacy

glass Modern Ribbed

38 1 Glass 3 Clear flat glass Modern

38 1 Glass 14 Clear curved glass Modern inc. jar & bottle rims

38 1 Glass 1 Brown curved

glass Modern

38 1 Glass 1 Blue flat glass Modern Medicene bottle?

38 1 Industrial 3 Slag Unknown

38 1 Industrial 3 Coal Unknown

38 1 Other

finds 1

Pewter flask neck

fragment Modern

38 1 Other

finds 1 Button Modern 2-hole

38 1 Pot 37 China/porcelain Modern

38 1 Pot 2 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

38 1 Pot 4 Earthenware -

unclassified Modern

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Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

38 1 Pot 3 Cream ware Modern

38 1 Pot 5 Stoneware -

unclassified Modern

38 1 Pot 2 White salt glazed later Post-medieval

38 1 Pot 1 Brown salt glazed

stoneware later Post-medieval

38 1 Pot 2 Earthenware 1/2 later Post-medieval

38 1 Pot 2 Slipware later Post-medieval press moulded

38 1 Pot 1 Black glazed

earthenware later Post-medieval

38 1 Pot 1 Mottled ware later Post-medieval

38 1 Pot 1 Medieval sandy

ware later High medieval 14th C+, frag - hard fired

38 2 BM 1 Lime mortar Unknown

38 2 BM 15 Decayed tarmac Modern

38 2 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown

38 2 CBM 47 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 2 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

bowl fragment

later Post-

medieval/modern scorched

38 2 Glass 1 Clear curved glass Modern

38 2 Glass 1 Green curved

glass Modern

38 2 Industrial 2 Coal Unknown

38 2 Pot 10 China/porcelain Modern

38 2 Pot 1 Earthenware -

unclassified Modern

38 2 Pot 3 Cream ware Modern moulded dec

38 2 Pot 4 Stoneware -

unclassified Modern

38 2 Pot 1 Surrey Whiteware later medieval/early

Post-medieval c.1400-c.1600

38 3 BM 2 Lime mortar Unknown

38 3 BM 15 Decayed tarmac Modern

38 3 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown

38 3 CBM 9 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 3 CBM 2 Greyish blue tile Modern 12mm & 24mm

38 3 CBM 4 Pinkish orange

CBM Modern

38 3 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

bowl fragment

later Post-

medieval/modern

38 3 Flint 1 Flint - core Neolithic/Bronze Age

38 3 Glass 6 Clear curved glass Modern inc. bottle rim

38 3 Glass 1 Green curved

glass Modern

38 3 Glass 1 Clear flat glass Modern

38 3 Glass 2 Pale blue curved

glass Modern inc. melted glass

38 3 Industrial 33 Clinker Unknown from furnace?

38 3 Industrial 1 Slag Unknown

38 3 Pot 21 China/porcelain Modern

38 3 Pot 3 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

38 3 Pot 6 Cream ware Modern

38 3 Pot 1 Mottled ware later Post-medieval

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Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

38 3 Pot 1 Earthenware 1 early Post-medieval

38 3 Pot 1 Chilvers Coton A

ware later High medieval c.1250+

38 4 BM 3 Lime mortar Unknown

38 4 CBM 14 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 4 CBM 6 Reddish orange

tile Modern 12mm thick

38 4 Glass 3 Pale turquoise

curved glass Modern

38 4 Industrial 9 Coal Unknown

38 4 Industrial 4 Slag & vesicular

slag Unknown

38 4 Metalwork 4 Fe objects Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted

38 4 Metalwork 1 Bottle cap Modern

38 4 Pot 15 China/porcelain Modern

38 4 Pot 3 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

38 4 Pot 5 Cream ware Modern

38 4 Pot 1 Mottled ware later Post-medieval

38 4 Pot 1 Brown salt glazed

stoneware later Post-medieval

38 4 Pot 2 Midland yellow

ware early Post-medieval bowl rim

38 5 BM 1 Lime mortar Unknown

38 5 Bone 5 Misc animal bone Unknown

38 5 CBM 30 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 5 CBM 10 Reddish orange

tile Modern 12mm thick

38 5 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

bowl fragment

later Post-

medieval/modern Thick walled

38 5 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

stem fragment later Post-medieval 2.4mm diam. bore

38 5 Flint 1 Flint - natural Unknown

38 5 Glass 2 Clear flat glass Modern

38 5 Glass 1 Green flat glass Modern

38 5 Industrial 23 Coal Unknown

38 5 Metalwork 2 Fe objects Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted

38 5 Pot 15 China/porcelain Modern

38 5 Pot 4 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

38 5 Pot 1 Slipware later Post-medieval press moulded

38 5 Pot 1 Midland

Blackware early Post-medieval

38 5 Pot 1 Midland yellow

ware early Post-medieval

38 5 Pot 1

Midland purple

ware -

unclassified

later medieval

38 5 Pot 1 Medieval sandy

ware later High medieval c.1250+, white bodied

38 5 Shell 1 Oyster shell

fragment Unknown

38 6 Bone 1 Misc animal bone Unknown

38 6 CBM 7 Orangeish red

CBM Modern

38 6 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

stem fragment Modern 1.6mm diam. bore

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Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

38 6 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

stem fragment later Post-medieval 2.4mm diam. bore

38 6 Flint 1 Flint - calcined

flake fragment Neolithic/Bronze Age

38 6 Glass 1 Green curved

glass Modern

38 6 Industrial 9 Coal Unknown

38 6 Pot 18 China/porcelain Modern dish - joining frags

38 6 Pot 2 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

38 6 Pot 6 Cream ware Modern

38 6 Pot 1 Midland purple

ware 4 later medieval buff bodied

38 6 Pot 1 Chilvers Coton A

ware later High medieval c.1250+

38 7 BM 1 Lime mortar Unknown

38 7 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown

38 7 CBM 7 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 7 Glass 1 Clear curved glass Modern

38 7 Industrial 3 Clinker Unknown

38 7 Industrial 7 Charcoal Unknown

38 7 Other

finds 1

Fe & bone object,

poss. pocket knife

handle

Unknown

38 7 Pot 5 China/porcelain Modern

38 7 Pot 1 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

38 7 Pot 2 Cream ware Modern

38 7 Pot 1 Brown salt glazed

stoneware later Post-medieval

38 7 Pot 1 Stoneware -

unclassified Modern

38 7 Pot 1

Cistercian

ware/Midland

Blackware

later medieval/early

Post-medieval

38 7 Pot 1 Derbyshire ware Roman

38 8 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown

38 8 CBM 13 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 8 Clay pipe 2 Clay tobacco pipe

stem fragment later Post-medieval 2.4mm diam. bore

38 8 Industrial 28 Charcoal & coal Unknown

38 8 Pot 12 China/porcelain Modern

38 8 Pot 1 Cream ware Modern

38 8 Pot 1 Surrey Whiteware later medieval/early

Post-medieval c.1400-c.1600, or type ware

38 8 Pot 1

Midland purple

ware -

unclassified

later medieval

38 8 Pot 1 unidentified Roman?

38 9 Bone 2 Misc animal bone Unknown Butchery marks

38 9 CBM 9 Orangeish red

CBM Modern

38 9 CBM 1 Reddish orange

nib tile Modern 18mm thick

38 9 Industrial 6 Charcoal & coal Unknown

38 9 Pot 9 China/porcelain Modern

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Test

-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes

38 10 CBM 6 Reddish orange

CBM Modern

38 10 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe

bowl fragment

later Post-

medieval/modern

38 10 Industrial 11 Charcoal & coal Unknown

38 10 Pot 2 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval

*BM – Building Material, CBM – Ceramic Building Material