The analysis of ceramic finds from excavations at the Coalport Chinaworks, Shropshire

Wendy Horton
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust Archaeology Unit

Background

Madeley Tithe Map, 1847

The Coalport Chinaworks is located on the north-east bank of the river Severn in the parish of Madeley in Shropshire. The site is currently occupied by buildings mainly dating to the late 19th century which form the Coalport China Museum and have been assigned Grade II* listed status.

The earliest records of pottery production on the site date to 1795-6. A porcelain factory (later known as John Rose & Co.) was established on the north bank of the Shropshire Canal. Soon after, a rival factory known as Anstice, Horton and Rose, was set up to the south and produced earthenwares and possibly porcelain. The history of these two factories, their changes of name and ownership and their amalgamation in 1814, is known from documentary records, although detailed archaeological evidence is limited. A third factory, Walter Bradley and Co. is thought to have existed on the site from around 1796 but its exact location is unknown. Following a number of innovations in technology and changes in working practice, ceramic production finally ceased in 1926 and production moved to Staffordshire. The buildings were eventually incorporated into the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and opened to the public.

Between 1991 and 1995 a major programme of repairs was undertaken in the Ironbridge Gorge funded by the Commission for the New Towns, with archaeological recording funded by English Heritage. The work undertaken at the Coalport Chinaworks included the installation of an extensive drainage system and yielded a considerably greater quantity of pottery and other ceramic material than had been anticipated. It was clear from the nature of this material that it was of considerable importance to the understanding of the history of ceramic production in the area.

As a result of this work, two interim reports were produced. The first contained the results of the fieldwork, including the records made during the excavation of the trenches, while the second was concerned with the historical records and a stratigraphical analysis and interpretation of the contexts containing the pottery. An assessment of the pottery itself and its potential for contributing to the understanding of the site also formed part of this report.

In 1995 - 1996 further work in the area produced a second assemblage, which, although smaller, also included significant material.

The results of the preliminary assessment

The assessment of the pottery assemblage was carried out by David Barker of the City Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent. The material from each of the eighteen machine-dug trenches was briefly examined and described with notes on the potential significance of the material and its context being included. The potential for the differentiation of the products of the two factories was considered in some detail. Barker concluded that the material merited further work, particularly in view of the fact that previous archaeological monitoring of excavations on the site of the Chinaworks had been of quality. He was able to identify groups which were of particular importance and concluded that

The likelihood of good stratigraphic sequences increases considerably the importance and research potential of [the] groups of wasters, and their survival in large quantities makes a thorough treatment of the assemblage desirable (Barker 1995)

Barker was also able to highlight specific questions of wider significance which a full analysis might answer. These included the precise dates of earthenware manufacture, the range of types produced by the Coalport factories, particularly the poorly known Bradley and Co. pottery, and issues connected with the technology in use during the earlier and middle phases of manufacture on the site.

As a result of this assessment the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust Archaeology Unit (IGMTAU) prepared a project design for submission to English Heritage.

The project design

The project design proceeded from the broad aim of advancing understanding of ceramic production and technology at the Coalport Chinaworks, and sought to maximise the potential offered by the association of a ceramic assemblage with reliably recorded archaeological stratigraphy. Four specific objectives were identified:

• To examine the excavated material in order to identify the products of Bradley and Co. and thus to augment the limited evidence for the products of this factory. To examine the relationship between the pottery and the structures identified during the excavation with a view to identifying the location of the factory.
• To determine whether the archaeological record can assist in separating different ware types and to determine whether the output of the different factories can be distinguished archaeologically.
• To examine the pattern of waste disposal from the factories by analysing the distribution of the sherds.
• To investigate the archaeological evidence for information about the development of the site, particularly in terms of the industrial processes operated at Coalport.

Methodology

In order to achieve the specified objectives a simple, but comprehensive, methodological statement and task list was drawn up, outlining the two basic stages of processing and analysis.

Sorting and processing

The pottery will be sorted, quantified (by sherd weight and sherd count) and described by ware type, finish, decoration, and (where possible) by vessel type. This information will form the core of the catalogue, supplemented by descriptions of individual pieces, photographs and drawings.

Analysis

The analytical stage will involve relating the pottery groups to their stratigraphic and spatial context across the site. Chronological interpretation will draw on historical and comparative information as well as the stratigraphic context.

Comparative research, involving the wider importance of the types identified will draw on material held by the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and the City Museum in Stoke-on-Trent. This will include work on the industrial processes and the technology involved in the production at the Coalport Chinaworks.

The final report

It is anticipated that the results of the project will merit two forms of publication. The first of these will be a full report combining documentary research and a description of the site and the standing buildings with the finds, processes and comparative material. This will be followed by a statement of the significance of the material and the implications which this project has for the future management of, and research in, the Severn Gorge.

The second report, to be produced concurrently, is intended for publication in Post-Medieval Archaeology and will consist of a 30,000 to 35,000 word report (with figures) covering similar ground to the first report, but omitting the management proposals.

Bibliography

Barker, D. 1995 An assessment of ceramic finds made during the Coalport Chinaworks drainage scheme. Unpublished Report.

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