Another remarkably interesting kiln was discovered in London in the course of excavations in forming the Metropolitan Railway, close to the Farringdon Street Station. The kiln, which rests upon the natural bed of clay of the locality, was found about fourteen feet below the surface level of Turnmill Street, or the natural bank of the Fleet River. Over it was an immense accumulation of rubbish, doubtless caused by the Great Fire of London. An account of this kiln has been drawn up by my friend Mr. J. E. Price, to whom I am indebted for the view of the kiln engraved on Fig. [129]. It was about 16 feet long and 10 feet wide, and consisted of three parallel arches, which averaged 2 feet wide by 1 foot high, separated from each other by a pier of about 1 foot in width. These arches constituted the furnaces, and supported a level floor, which was pierced, at equal distances, with a series of openings each 2 feet long by 5 inches wide. Through these the heat would rise from below for firing the tiles. On the spaces between the apertures the tiles were probably placed for burning. There were thirty of these openings remaining, though in some instances the intervening spaces had fallen away. The entire structure is composed of plain tiles, similar to those used for roofing purposes.
Little Chester.
A manufactory of coarse brown ware formerly existed at Little Chester near Derby. Fragments of various fictile vessels of much the same character as the Tickenhall dishes, and also of the same kind as the Chesterfield brown ware, have from time to time been found, as well as remains of a potter’s kiln. Nothing, however, is known regarding it.
Tickenhall.
A pottery existed at this place, as early, at all events, as the reign of Queen Elizabeth; probably much earlier. This is incontestably proved by remains which have from time to time been exhumed on the spot. There can, therefore, be no doubt that pottery has for more than three centuries been uninterruptedly made at this place. In 1650, Philip Kinder, in his collections towards a History of Derbyshire, preserved in the Bodleian Library, thus wrote:—“Numa Pompilius here might have learn’t his ‘Straine of Frugalities’! Here are your best Fictilias made you; earthern vessels, potts, and pancions, at Tycknall, and carried all East England through.” This is the earliest mention of Tickenhall pottery I have met with.
Figs. 130 and 131.
Pilkington (1789) says:—“Formerly a very large quantity of earthen ware was manufactured at this place; but lately the business has very much declined. It is said, that, since the land in the neighbourhood has been enclosed, it has been difficult to meet with proper clay.”
The ordinary coarse domestic vessels—“potts and pancions” as they are called by Kinder—were made, but beyond these there were many highly-decorated ones, with human heads for handles, &c.; some fragments of these are in the possession of Sir John Harpur Crewe, Bart., of Calke Abbey, to whom Tickenhall belongs. The ware was coarse, but very hard, the colour a dull brown, nearly black, in some instances with a yellow slip. Sometimes, however, it was of the ordinary red colour. A mediæval pitcher, or jug, in my own possession, which was dug up here in the course of draining operations on the site of the old works, has the body of deep red clay, very hard and compact, and its upper part is covered with a dark glaze; it has been much blistered in firing. In Sir John Crewe’s possession is a pilgrim’s bottle, found here, of the ordinary shape. It is shown on Fig. [130]. He has also portions of two others, the most perfect fragment being nearly black, and the other of a reddish brown colour. Of these several other fragments have been found.
