GSS97 -
Gowthorpe, Selby
Building
Materials
by Sandra Garside-Neville
There
is a scattering of Roman material across the site. There is roof tile (imbrex) and brick (where the form either
cannot be identified, or the piece is so large that it may have been used in
the hypocaust system or in walling)
The
medieval material from this site is quite varied. Firstly there is ceramic roof tile which is represented by plain
tile, pegtile, and nibtile. There is
evidence here for a number of different tile making centres, which are using
different manufacturing techniques and fabrics. There is one example of nibtile. In nearby York, nibtiles occur in only small quantities and may
have been used for patching roofs. Many
of the plain tile fabrics have mortar along a broken edge, which indicates
reuse and hints at several phases of building.
There are stone roof tiles as well.
These are made of limestone and identifiable fragments have a drilled
circular nail or peg hole. One fragment
indicates a diamond shape for these tiles.
These tiles tend to occur with material that is mostly medieval so it is
assumed that they are from the medieval period.
There
is also brick. The measurements of
these bricks have a narrow thickness (under 50mm) and a comparatively broad
breadth (over 125mm). Some bricks have
indented borders. Again, there are a
number of fabrics indicating that there are several brick-making centres being
used. Of particular interest is a
specially moulded brick, which is basically a normal brick shape, but has one
of the corners missing. This brick must
have been used for some sort of architectural detailing on a window or
doorway. From trench 8 there is a
probable medieval brick which shows signs of wear along its stretcher
face. It has probably been used as
flooring.
There
is a very worn mosaic floor tile from context 3005 which dates to around the
14th century.
In
Trench 4 there is a clustering of daub.
As the finds from around this area are medieval the assumption is that
the daub is also medieval. Daub is
associated with walling or ovens (domestic or industrial). The fragments of daub in this Trench have
impression of wattle rods.
This
material is represented by brick, wall tiles and pantile
The
building materials from this site indicate quite a varied occupation in the
area. The medieval roofing occurs in
both ceramic and stone form. There are
also bricks and mosaic flooring from this period. This hints at quite a high class building.
There
are also signs of possible industrial workings, though it is not clear from
just the building materials at which period they occur. There is daub, associated with medieval
material (though this could have been re-deposited). There is also a brick which may be some sort of kiln prop from
Trench 6.
In
addition, there is the background presence of Roman material.
Some
of the bricks from this sample are unwashed.
This hinders identification of manufacturing traits. It is strongly recommended that these bricks
are washed before further storage.
It
is recommended that if this sample is studied further the stone samples are
sent to a geologist who will be able to
indicate sources for the stone.
This
sample must be retained for further study.
It has a valuable and varied collection of medieval building materials
which will contribute usefully to the study of medieval Selby.
Context Listing
Context Form/s Date
u/s
Trench 3 Pantile, Limestone 18th+
u/s
Trench 7 Plain, ?Roman brick, Plain (overfired) 13th-16th
Trench
8 "Roman ditch fill" Imbrex
(T16), Roman
Trench
8/1 "pipe trnch to building from brown clay deposit"
Plain 16th+
Trench
8/3 "Ditch fill" Plain, Plain (refined fabric) 19th+
Brick/Daub
1001 Pantile, Limestone 18th+
1010 Pantile, Plain (overfired) 18th+
1065 Brick (T48mm) 14th+
1067 Slag ?
1068 Brick (burnt) ?
1070 Mortar (?sample), Plain (reused),
Plain 13th-16th
(slip), Limestone
(T18)
1073 Plain, Slag 13th-16th
1077 Plain 13th-16th
1079 ?Roman brick ?Roman
1084 Plain 13th-16th
1085 ??Imbrex, Pantile, Brick (medieval
or later) 18th
1086 Pan (reused), Peg (circular peghole) 18th+
1088 Plain, Brick (L237/B111/T52mm, slop 16th+
moulded)
1089 Ridge, Plain, Brick (T35mm, sooted 14th+
stretcher - from
fireplace?)
1102 Brick (T57mm) 14th+
1111 Brick, Plain (overfired), Brick
(overfired, 14th-15th
T36mm), Brick
(T38mm), Brick
(T42mm), Brick
(B130/T45mm)
1138 Mortar, Plain, Limestone, Clay pipe,
Brick
(?medieval, T53mm)
1306 Plain 13th-16th
1308 Plain 13th-16th
1332 Brick (B123/T55mm, reused, sand
moulded) 14th+
1342 Peg (square peghole, very curved,
overfired), 13th-16th
Peg (square
peghole, punch impression),
Limestone (roughly
shaped, pot lid?
1345 Plain 13th-16th
1352 Pot, Ridge (nailhole, D5mm),
?pantile, ?17th+
Plain
1397 Peg (square peghole) 13th-16th
1403 Daub, Pot, Slag ?
1412 Pot, ?medieval material ?
1416 Plain 13th-16th
1447 ?Peg (T22mm, circular peg/nail hole) ?13th
1454 Plain, Slag 13th-16th
1455 Roman brick (T38mm) Roman
1460 Plain 13th-16th
1461 Plain, Pot 13th-16th
1470 Plain 13th-16th
1471 Brick (medieval or later) ?
1473 Bone,
Mortar, Plain, Brick (medieval or later)14th+
1476 Plain 13th-16th
1492 Plain, Plain (overfired, ?waste) 13th-16th
1497 Plain, Limestone, Pot 13th-16th
3000 Mortar, Plain, Coal, Limestone,
Plain (+slip) 19th+
Pantile, Concrete,
Brick (Modern)
3005 Limestone, Floor tile (mosaic, very
worn, 14th-15th
T31mm, cut edges, 3
of 4 sides,
light green glaze,
c 3mm square),
Brick (B120/T50mm)
3006 Peg (circular peghole, B184mm) 13th-16th
3072 Peg (square peghole, D10mm,
B206/T20, 14th+
Brick (T46mm)
3078 Plain 13th-16th
3080 Limestone roof tile (nailhole D12mm, 13th-16th
diamond shaped
tile), Plain, Pot
Plain (+slip), Pot,
Plain
3091 Plain, Plain (overfired), Peg
(square peghole) 13th-16th
Limestone, Peg
(square peghole,
D12mm)
3103 Plain 13th-16th
3116 Plain 13th-16th
3154 Pantile 18th+
3178 Plain 13th-16th
3181 Plain 13th-16th
3223 Pot, Pantile, Plain (+green glaze) 18th
3234 Plain 13th-16th
3235 Pantile. UNWASHED: Brick (L224B108 17th+
T45, ?worn)
3275 Pantile, Plain, ?Roman brick 17th+
3280 Limestone, Daub, Plain 13th-16th
3302 Brick 14th+
3410 Plain 13th-16th
3413 Plain 13th-16th
3418 Plain 13th-16th
3421 Plain 13th-16th
3423 ?Plain (small frag) ?13th-16th
3424 Plain 13th-16th
3490 Flint ?
3573 Pot, Pantile 18th+
3573/4/5 Pantile, Peg (square peghole) 18th+
3607 Plain 13th-16th
3612 Plain 13th-16th
3619 ?Brick/Daub ?
3683 ?Plain 13th-16th
3619 Daub ?
3780 Pantile 18th+
3775 Plain 13th-16th
3878 UNWASHED. Sandstone (fine-grained, ?
grooved, paving?)
3879 UNWASHED. Brick (L225/B108/T47) 16th+
Brick
(L252/B123/T58)
4000 Limestone, Plain, Pantile,
Dust-pressed tile, 19th+
Plain, Brick, Peg
(square peghole),
Plain (overfired)
4192 Limestone, Pot, Coal ?
4444 Brick 14th+
4492 Limestone, Pot, Daub, Roman brick 18th+
(T29mm), Slag,
Plain, Mortar,
Pantile, Limestone
4553 Brick, Plain, Daub 14th+
4601 Amphora Roman
4634 Peg (square peghole in corner,
D13mm) 13th-16th
Brick (T34mm),
Plain, Brick (worn,
T48mm)
4635 Plain, Nib (applied), Brick (T49mm), 14th+
Brick (T26m)
4676 Daub ?
4706 Pot, Daub, Limestone, ?Brick (T31mm) 14th+
4713 Limestone, Plain, Brick 14th+
4714 Plain (overfired, vitrified), Brick
(reused, 14th+
T43mm)
4732 Plain 13th-16th
4733 Plain, Peg (square peghole) 13th-16th
4734 ?Plain, ?Plain (T23mm), Sandstone,
Brick 14th+
(T53mm)
4735 Plain 13th-16th
4742 Plain, Pantile, Brick 18th+
4743 Brick (T48mm), Plain 14th+
4744 Brick 14th+
4824 Plain, Peg (square peghole),
Medieval brick 14th-15th
(T45)
4825 Medieval brick, Plain 14th-15th
4827 Plain, Peg (diamond
peghole/nailhole) 13th-16th
4832 Plain (burnt), Plain (?slip) 13th-16th
4842 Daub, Pot ?
4844 Brick, Plain, Mortar 14th+
4848 Daub, Limestone ?
4866 Ridge, Plain 13th-16th
4867 Plain 13th-16th
4868 Sandstone cobble, ?Amphora, ?Roman
brick?Roman
4880 Daub ?
4890 Daub ?
4894 Daub (wattle rod impression, well
fired) ?
Millstone grit)
4895 Daub ?
4954 Limestone (T25), Plain, Plain
(reused) ?
4975 Plain (reused) 13th-16th
4978 Daub ?
4982 ?Medieval brick ?14th-15th
5003 Plain, Limestone
5023 Plain, Limestone 13th-16th
5029 Plain 13th-16th
5031 Stone ?
5036 Peg (diamond peghole), Plain 13th-16th
504? "Base of deep post pit" Medieval brick 14th-15th
(T41, silty
fabric), Medieval
brick (T42), Roman
brick
5041 Plain, Plain (?slip), Medieval brick 13th-16th
5045 Plain, Plain (overfired) 13th-16th
5048 Limestone, Plain, Peg (square
peghole), 13th-16th
Limestone (nailhole
T21, roofing),
Mortar
5051 Pot, Limestone, Plain 13th-16th
5066 Daub, Limestone (fragment) ?
5072 Daub ?
5075 Daub, Stone ?
6001 Daub (small frags) ?
6002 ?Daub, Brick (T95B103, Industrial, ?
?Kiln prop, silty,
organic, rough
shape)
6004 Sandstone (fine-grained, ?burnt,
T21), 13th-16th
Plain
7003 Plain (reused) 13th-16th
7009 Medieval brick (indented border,
T37), 14th-15th
Plain (indented
borders), Plain,
Limestone
(?roofing, T22), Plain
(overfired)
7015 ?Medieval brick (moulded, indented 14th-16th
borders, B122T43,
used for
window or door way
for architectual
detail, medium
sanding)
7019 Pegtile (square peghole), Medieval
brick 14th-15th
(B128T41, fine
sanding)
7020 Pegtile (diamond peghole), Plain,
Limestone 13th-16th
fragment
8011 ?Medieval brick (worn along the
thickness 14th+
measurements, ?used
as hearth
surround or
flooring, B107T44),
Plain
8033 Brick (medieval or later), Plain 14th+
9003 Plain, ?Daub 13th-16th
9007 Plain 13th-16th
9013 Plain 13th-16th
9019 Plain (smal frags) 13th-16th
9023 Plain 13th-16th
31141 Limestone, Limestone (nailhole D6mm) 13th-16th
Plain, Plain
(overfired), Peg
(diamond peghole,
B195mm, hole
off-centre)
31143 Plain, Peg (diamond peghole D13mm, 14th+
signature to right
of hole,
B221/T16mm),
Ridge/gutter,
Peg (square
peghole), Limestone,
Peg (diamond
peghole), Brick
(T46mm),
31154
Plain 13th-16th
31155 Daub ?