Monument record MDR14683 - Kiln, Church Lane, Ticknall

The large deposit of saggars and wasters described above had been used to backfill a probable kiln chamber. The structure had been disturbed by the digging of pits, and little of the kiln fabric remained. Around 4000 vessels were recovered, although over half are unstratified. Once structural remains were uncovered, the excavation strategy was altered accordingly and pottery was recovered by context; this material was the focus for post excavation analysis. Due to the large amounts of pottery present at the site, a selective retrieval policy was put in place to recover a representative range of fabrics and forms. The stratified assemblage includes Midlands Purple ware jars, bunghole vessels, jugs, bowls and cups, although saggars are the most common form. A small amount of Cistercian ware was also recovered. Evidence from other Midlands Purple and Cistercian ware production sites indicate the two were often manufactured together and fired in the same kilns, with Midlands Purple forms evidently used as saggars during firing to protect the more delicate Cistercian ware drinking vessels. Examples of kiln props and spacers were also present. Chemical analysis was carried out on material from the Church Lane site and from the nearby site of Peats Close, which showed that the wares from the two sites could be distinguished chemically. Although dating evidence was lacking, evidence of Church Lane products in other stratified assemblages elsewhere suggests that the production of pottery at Church Lane may date to between the late 15th and mid 16th century. (1)