YORYM 1997.93 –
SPAUNTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Ceramic
Building Materials
S
Garside-Neville
Introduction
This
is a small sample of material, comprising ceramic building materials and stone.
Medieval material
Most
notable from this sample is glazed ridge tile.
This has a distinctive fabric, which sometimes has fragments of shell
present, and has a grey core. The glaze
is a light brown/green colour. The
fragment in 1004 is rather flat, with trimmed edges, and could be a plain roof
tile. Glazed tile has been associated
with 14th century buildings elsewhere in the county, but could be earlier. Also present are some fragments of plain
roof tile, which show no indication of the method of suspension.
Present
in 2004 are fragments of a fine-grained limestone which are thin enough to have
served as roof tile, though there are no nailholes present. In 1004 there is a fragment of fine grained
sandstone which may be worked.
Post medieval material
Pan
tile, probable field drain, and very recent roof tile can be dated to the post
medieval period.
Recommendations
It
is recommended that this sample is retained for the present as it adds to the
collection of material from this site.
In particular, the glazed material may be indicative of a high status
building, and has been seen from this site before (see R H Hayes report of the
'Excavations at Spaunton Manor, North Yorkshire' Ryedale Historian 13, 1986,
4-25), and excavations by MAP Archaeological Consultancy in 1994). It would be useful to compare this material
with the present sample so that further information about the range of fabrics
and forms from this site can be gathered.
It is interesting to note that the glazed material was originally
mistaken for Hambledon ware - a well known pottery industry. As ceramic building materials for the area,
and the county as a whole, is poorly understood any further work undertaken on
this sample will enhance the knowledge of the industry.
u/s
Trench2 Ridge, Pan, Modern roof tile 18th+
1000 Pan, ?Field drain, ?Ridge, Plain 17th+
1004 ?Plain/?Ridge (T18mm) 14th+
1006 ?Brick (?Roman), ?Brick (?med) ?
2004 Plain (T20mm), Brick (med+), ?Stone 13th+
tile
2006 Plain, ?Brick 13th+