YM 1999.4 - St William's College, York

Ceramic Building Materials

by S Garside-Neville

Introduction

Over forty fragments of ceramic building materials were submitted for examination. The material ranged in date from the medieval to the post medieval period. The text of this report is available in a Word 6 file, and the accompanying database is in Access 2.

Medieval Material

The medieval material consists of peg tile, and plain tile (undiagnostic fragments which may be peg tile or nib tile), and brick. The measurements and features of the brick point to a medieval date. One of the plain fragment tiles is so curved that it may have been used as a gutter tile, though this identification is by far from uncertain.

Post medieval material

Post medieval material is represented by pan tile, wall tile and brick. Some of the bricks have features which could be regarded as medieval, in that they have indented borders, and rather narrow thicknesses. However the breadth measurements and slop moulding point to a later date. In all, a little bit of doubt could be thrown onto the dating of these bricks.

Conclusion

This sample has some interesting features, particularly regarding the brick (see above).

Context 1051 appears to be an in situ brick wall dating to the 14-15th century. 1052 is a standing garden wall, but the stated thickness of the bricks recorded on site (40mm) suggests a 14-15th century date, though if any length or breadth measurements would helped with more conclusive dating. 1052 is probably rebuilt twice, with 1053 having reused 14-15th century bricks, and 1054 having bricks measuring 60mm, which probably gives a date from the 16th century onward. 1038 is a brick culvert and may well date to between the 16-18th century. 1060/61 could be an in situ brick floor of the 14-15th century. This floor, evidently comprised bricks set on their stretchers, and would have constituted a very hard wearing surface that may be associated with a kitchen or heavy duty store room.

Further recording is recommended, so that the sample can be compared to other brick within the city of York and usefully contribute to the study of CBM in the city. After full recording much of the sample could be dispersed

Context Listing

Cxt	Form	Le	Br	Th	Comments	Date	Spot
1004	PAN	0	0	0		17TH+	17TH+
1007	BRICK	0	0	0	POST MED	PM	19TH+
	PAN	0	0	0	X 4 FRAGS	17TH+
	WALT	0	0	8	DUST PRESSED; WHITE GLAZE; BATHROOM/KITCHEN; X 2 FRAGS	19TH+
1015	PAN	0	0	0		17TH+
1016	BRICK	0	113	0	TURNING MARK, SLOP MOULDED, PRESSED?	16-18TH+	16-18TH
	BRICK	0	112	0		16-18TH+
	BRICK	0	0	44	SLOP MOULDED	14-15TH?
	BRICK	0	0	0	X 5 FRAGS	?
1018	BRICK	0	126	40	REUSED, 3/4 BAT	14-15TH	14-15TH
1021	PLAIN	0	0	0	OVERFIRED	13-15TH	13-15TH
	PLAIN	0	0	0		13-15TH
1023	BRICK	0	129	41	INDENTED, SLOP MOULDED, SANDED BASE, TURNING MARK	14-15TH	14-15TH
1024	BRICK	0	124	47		14-15TH	14-15TH
	BRICK	0	128	40	INDENTED BORDER, COARSE SANDING	14-15TH
	PLAIN	0	0	0		13-15TH
1025	BRICK	0	135	39	SLIP, MEDIUM SANDING, INDENTED BORDER	14-15TH	14-15TH
1026	PEG	0	0	0	CIRCULAR PEGHOLE	13-15TH	13-15TH
1031	BRICK	0	112	47	SLOP MOULDED	16-18TH	16-18TH
1034	BRICK	0	129	37	INDENTED BORDER, REUSED, 3/4 BAT	14-15TH	16-18TH
	BRICK	0	113	48	INDENTED BORDER, TURNING MARK, SLOP MOULDED	16-18TH
	BRICK	0	117	46	SLOP MOULDED, INDENTED BORDER	16-18TH
	PEG	0	0	0	CIRCULAR PEGHOLE	13-15TH
1038	BRICK	0	113	47	REUSED	16-18TH	16-18TH
	BRICK	0	0	56		16-18TH
	PEG	317	222	14	INDENTED BORDER, DIAMOND PEGHOLE, BLOCKED PEGHOLE	13-15TH
	PLAIN	0	210	14	REUSED	13-15TH
	PLAIN	0	0	0	REUSED, GUTTER?	13-15TH
1043	BRICK	0	0	34	REUSED	14-15TH	14-15TH
1051	BRICK	262	121	38	NOTCH CUTOUT, INDENTED BORDER	14-15TH	14-15TH
	BRICK	0	121	45	REUSED, SANDED MOULD	14-15TH
	BRICK	0	131	37	INDENTED BORDER; SANDED MOULD	14-15TH
1060	BRICK	250	125	40	FINE SANDING; STRETCHER CLEAN OF MORTAR; SANDED BASE; TURNING MARK	14-15TH	14-15TH
1061	BRICK	257	122