YM 1998.1 – ST WILLIAM’S COLLEGE, YORK

Ceramic Building Material

S Garside-Neville

Introduction

There was one box of material from this site.

Medieval material

The medieval material comprises plain roofing tile and medieval brick. Plain roofing tile was used widely in the medieval period, and the typical York product has one square or circular peg hole placed centrally at the top of a flat slab of clay. The medieval brick is present here in two forms. One type has a comparatively narrow thickness (under 50mm) and a broad breadth (over 120mm), along with coarsely sanded edges and an indent around the edges of the top surface. This type of brick may have been used as infilling for timber-framed buildings. The second type tends to be a little thicker (50-58mm) and as broad as the first, with finer or no sanding. This type may be associated with walls or perhaps chimneys, and this particular example is actually quite burnt. Both types of brick present show signs of reuse.

Post medieval material

Post medieval material is represented by pantile and brick.

Conclusion

This material can usefully contribute to the study of ceramic building materials in York, so should be retained for further study.

Context Listing

Context Form/s Date range Spot date

2001 Pantile; Brick (T43), 14-19th 19th

?drainpipe (refined

fabric)

2002 Pantile; Pantile (sooted) 17th+ 18-19th

2007 Brick (B116T46, sanded 14th-Post med ?Post med

mould, mortar on broken

edge, reused, slight indent;

Brick (T52, worn lower

surface, ?worn stretcher,

silty fabric; Brick (T57,

slop moulded, ?Post med

2012 Plain (B181T17); Brick 13-20th 20th

(T66, ?extruded); Plain

Brick (T64, engineering

brick); Brick (B124T37,

worn stretcher, sanded;

Brick (B127T40,

indented border, coarse

sanding); Brick (T72,

?extruded)

2025 Brick (B125T55, one 14-15th 14-15th

stretcher worn and burnt,

?hearth/fire surround,

turning mark, mortar

on broken edges, reused

2031 Brick (small frag) 14th-?Post med ?Post med

sgn

8/2/99