Blue Barrel Excavation - April 2005

EXCAVATED POTTERY ANALYSIS

BLUE BARREL, CASTLE, NORTHWICH

Background

The excavation took place over the weekend of 23rd/24th April 2005 on a site where early 19th Century cottage/shops had been demolished in the hope of tracing evidence of Vicus (civilian) settlement outside the known Roman fort. Observations during the 1970s had confirmed that the modern Chester Road was above the Roman road from Chester to York where occupation might be expected.

All sherds discovered were retained for washing and inspection. This provided, for the first time, an accurate pottery dating for post Mediaeval occupation in the Castle Area of Northwich. Documentation and early maps suggest that after the Romans left the area at the end of the 2nd Century AD that it remained sparsely inhabited. The Mediaeval salt making “wych” was situated on the other side of the Weaver, and this seems to echo the developments at Nantwich, Middlewich, and Warrington, where the later settlements all grew up on the opposite bank. The reason for this is not yet understood.

During the Middle Ages the area of Castle, was in a separate hundred, lordship, township and parish from Northwich. Although a tiny portion of land on the Castle side was administered as part of Northwich to enable maintenance of the bridge tolls were charged on all goods crossing it. In fact people from Castle and Hartford were considered “foreigners” and not allowed to make salt in the town. The Castle area probably took its name from the Latin Castra rather than a true castle for which there is no documentary or archaeological evidence. Early versions of the name in records call it Castellum, this is not an attempt to Latinise an English word but the term the Romans would use for a fortification.

The early documentation was published by Ormerod in his History of Cheshire, but they are few in relationship to other townships and deal only with ownership of the area; which need not imply that anyone actually lived there. The list of licensees Blue Barrel, Published by Mc.Greggor on his Licensees of the Public Houses of Northwich (1990) starts in 1632. At that time it stood on the border between Castle and Hartford and was classed as in Hartford. This would have provided an ideal place for a tavern on the town boundary. The excavations have confirmed this dating archaeologically. The existing building was erected early in the 19th Century when the adjoining “Albion Place” cottages were built. It was extended in 1929 when three of the cottages were demolished.

The standing buildings on Castle illustrate a development to the west of the salt making area in Northwich during the 19th Century. This westward move of towns is evident in most towns in the country as people moved down-wind of the industrial areas to avoid the smoke - which usually blew away to the east. After the cholera epidemics of the 1830s the area expanded to the Cheshire Lines railway sideline (built 1870). The districts of Greenbank and Hartford developed to continue the road line towards Chester but were lined by detached middle class Victorian dwellings. A late 19th Century villa occupation filled the north side of Chester Road. Many of the early houses were demolished as sub standard in the 1960s and 70s. Rescue excavation conducted by Professor Barri Jones and the Northwich Archaeology Group revealed what appears to be two phases of Roman military occupation on two slightly different areas with some overlap. The Blue Barrel excavation set out to try to trace evidence of Vicus settlement outside the west gate
of the fort.


The Pottery

Although from unstratified contexts due to the disturbed nature of the site and the fragmentary nature of the finds, a full pottery analysis for occupation can be presented. All finds must be regarded as unstratified from disturbed layers of plough-soil and later buildings.

Roman

Some small fragments including grey local ware, black burnished ware, a possible imbrix (roof tile) and a piece of a samian ware wine cup (Dr. form 27).

Late Mediaeval – 16th Century.

The rim of a cooking pot, hard grey fabric, rim with part of a spout of a cooking pot, cream fabric with brown gaze on the rim and evidence of use over an open fire. Rim of a “butter pot”, Midland purple ware typical of Hanley manufacture.

17th Century

Many fragments of black and brown mottled drinking vessels, although too small to identify exactly what type of pot they were part of they were typical of the fabric of tygs and resemble the mug in which the Winsford Hoard (1643) was found.

From the Restoration period came many fragments of slip-ware chargers including well known patterns such as the four oak leaves and the combed stripes of slip and decorated pieces of wider rims. Red, cream and brown fabrics were traced and black, white, cream and orange slips were used.

18th Century

Fragments of brown mottled ware jugs and cups. Undecorated Staffordshire cream-ware, which may be 18th or 19th Century. The bases of wine bottles in thick black glass. Two clay pipe bowls. One notable piece was the base of a tea bowl in blue and white Deft-ware, of European make imitating Chinese imports, marked with a triangle of three blue dots.

Early 19th Century

Pieces of several “tankard” ale mugs, wheel decorated with rings of glaze in “earth colours”, especially black, brown, yellow and dull green, one example combed before firing. An example of a plate decorated free hand with a blue flower with dull green foliage, possibly a crocus, in the middle. Also an example of three colour quill decoration. Earth colours were phased out in the mid 19th Century. Many fragments of large kitchen jars typical of Buckley or North Staffordshire manufacture, some with rims and small handles, used for storage, rising dough or salting meat.

Late 19th Century

Many fragments of transfer printed wares, particularly blue and white in all its varieties, including some early mocha (tobacco stained) ware along with other items such as tea cups, a chamber pot handle and so forth. Denby stone-ware ink bottles, white salt glazed jars, a complete glass druggists’ bottle.

All the items found using metal detectors seem to relate to the 19th and 20th Century occupation of the site.

Conclusion

While the excavation failed to produce much evidence of the Roman Vicus because of later disturbance by drains and cellars it did confirm that there had been Roman levels in the past and a small portion was examined and recorded. This was an irregular edged area of paving using small glacial stones, similar paved areas have been observed in the area in the past. As it extends under the pavement it may be possible to trace more of it in the future. This helps confirm the belief that, as in any fort, civilians settled along the road outside the main entrance to the west of the fort. They would have provided various services as well as homes for the soldiers’ families.

For the first time an unbroken pottery sequence, probably from the 15th Century to the present day was collected from Northwich. This provides archaeological confirmation of the belief that the Blue Barrel stands on the site of an older hostelry. The predominance of ale drinking mugs confirms the hospitality aspect of occupation long before the houses were built in the first decade of the 19th Century. The assemblage of 17th Century pottery is significant as it confirms occupation on the site earlier than was previously known from archaeology. Surprisingly no examples of later beer glasses or beer bottles were found but by the time they were introduced the plots were built on.

The gap between the Roman and 14th/15th Century wares might not indicate a break in occupation so much as the general lack of pottery use in the County. In fact from the end of the second century pottery use seems to have significantly declined throughout the country. It may be that materials such as leather, wood and metals (which were less likely to survive as fragments) replaced pottery in the Romano British home. Apart from in Chester 3rd/4th Century Roman Pottery is almost unknown on Cheshire sites. Dark Age ware is also absent and apart from Chester ware (found mainly in Chester) Saxon, Norse and Norman wares are virtually unknown.  Similarly there is a dearth of Roman coins and other metal-work from Cheshire excavations other than at Chester. The implications of this are only slowly being realised. But as Iron age pottery is similarly scarce in the North West it may be that pottery never played a large part in the lives of the inhabitants. It is not inconceivable that occupation in the area continued at a subsistance level from the Roman period to the 17th Century, but the small area sampled only produced the minimum of finds that might still be on the site in unstatrified levels.

Northwich Town Mayor Clr. Mrs Mel Slater

Brian Curzon with Northwich Town Mayor

Acknowledgements

Thanks must be recorded to the many local volunteers, those who took part and those who offered but could not be accommodated this time.

Thanks also to the Developers, Padiham Developments Ltd., for permission to excavate in advance of rebuilding. To John Roberts of the Manchester University Archaeology Unit for directing the dig and the loan of tools etc. Also to Andrea Scott and Vix for the survey work.  The Development of the Arts in Northwich and its Director Nick Hughes for financial and practical support throughout. Cheshire County Council Archaeology Section especially Mark Leah for helping gain access. Vale Royal Borough Council especially David Hayes for help with fencing and other practical assistance, Crewe and Nantwich Metal Detectors Society for their services and the Elders of the United Reformed Church on Castle for the use of their church hall as a base and finds room. To Winsford Plant Hire for favourable terms to clear and backfill the site. Finally to the Northwich Town Clerk Steve Sharman and the Northwich Town Mayor Clr. Mrs. Mel Slater who visited the excavation to inspect it in her official capacity. The excavation was organised as part of the Roman Northwich Year sponsored by the Local Heritage Initiative fund of the Countryside Agency, although no Lottery funds were actually used for this excavation.


Text by J. Brian Curzon