Monument record MDO7060 - Romano-British pottery manufacturing site at Redcliff Farm, Arne

A Romano British pottery manufacturing site producing Black Burnished Ware excavated by Farrar, possibly dating from AD 80 to the 4th century. A quern and coins were found.

Occupation Debris was found in 1953-4 in test pits in the field E of Redcliff Farm, at the edge of the floodplain of the Frome (93558672). Much ashy soil in places 1ft to 2ft thick, was found with local coarse pottery dating from at least the end to the 4th century AD. including complete vessels (some, apparently wasters, in Christchurch Museum), a quern-stone and a coin of Septimius Severus (193-211). Pottery manufacture has been suggested here. Romano-British sherds (93288673) were also observed NE of the farm (Dorset Procs. LXXVI (1954), 81; LXXI 1959), 123; Swanage Times 4 Nov., 30 Dec 1953). <1>

SY 933867. An extensive Romano-British black-burnished ware factory site at Redcliff Farm, which apparently used clamps or bonfire-firings for production, rather than kilns, has been excavated since 1975 under the direction of R A H Farrar. A gully or drainage-ditch was located in 1977, possibly bounding the west side of the site, and yielded substantially complete cooking pots and dishes of conventionally 2nd century date. Part of a heavily burnt oval or circular floor, apparently the base of a bonfire-firing was exposed in 1979. Pottery in direct association with the floor was scarce but included flat-rim dishes characteristic of the 2nd century. A thin sleeper wall overlying this feature may indicate a shed or building of a relatively long and extremely narrow nature.

The thin sleeper wall is interpreted as part of an irregular drainage system part-dating the site. Evidence suggests that the earliest findings date to ca. 80 AD. Interim reports; the excavation ended in 1983. <2-11>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 593 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2> Farrar, R A H, 1973, The Techniques and Sources of Romano-British Black-Burnished Ware (Article in monograph). SDO16399.

<3> Goodburn R (Compiler), 1976, Roman Britain in 1975: Ridge, 362 (Article in serial). SWX3070.

<4> Farrar R A H, 1975, Interim Report on Excavations at the Romano-British Potteries at Redcliff near Wareham., 49-51, illus. (Article in serial). SWX3076.

<5> (Farrar R A H (Compiled by Keen L), 1976, Dorset Archaeology in 1976- Arne, 54 (Article in serial). SWX3077.

<6> Farrar R A H, 1978, Dorset Archaeology in 1978: Arne, 112 (Article in serial). SWX3078.

<7> Farrar R A H, 1979, Dorset Archaeology in 1979: Arne., 133 (Article in serial). SWX3079.

<8> Farrar R A H, 1980, Dorset Archaeology in 1980: Arne, Redcliff Farm, 88 (Article in serial). SWX3080.

‘ARNE, REDCLIFF FARM
Excavation of the Black-burnished Ware factory site in 1980 showed that the long sleeper-wall structure provisionally identified as a shed, perhaps for drying pottery before firing, was a very narrow building with a distinctly obtuse-angled north east corner. Underneath this building, the burnt-red firing-floor located in 1979 proved to be larger than first supposed; laterally it extended for some 4 metres before being cut away by a gully on its east side, and its southern limits have not yet been reached. Very little pottery was directly associated with the feature, but it included pieces of flat-rimmed bowls or dishes, which recent evidence from Exeter suggests may have been appearing first in the last quarter of the 1st century AD. Samples of the floor were taken for analysis by Mr. L. Biek of the Department of the Environment, and readings were made by Mr. A. J. Clarke for an attempt at palaeomagnetic dating.’

<9> Farrar R A H, 1981, Dorset Archaeology in 1981: Redcliff, Arne., 123 (Article in serial). SWX3081.

‘REDCLIFF, ARNE
Excavation during the spring holiday sufficed to show that the remains of the black-burnished ware factory are more complex than had been appreciated. The westerly gully, hitherto thought of as perhaps a major boundary of the industrial site, has proved short and inconsiderable, although it continued to yield substantial portions of underfired cooking-pots and dishes of the later 3rd or early 4th century AD. The sleeper-wall construction overlying the debris of the early firing floor is likely to belong broadly to the same late phase of activity, but the divergent alignments of its two long-axis walls make it difficult to interpret it any longer as a roofed structure. Moreover no sign has appeared of any associated floor.
About 7 metres further north, part of an evidently contemporary feature, of identical construction, has appeared in the same stratigraphical horizon; this is presumably a separate unit, since its alignment does not match that of its neighbours.’

<10> 1981, CBA Newsletter and Calendar Jan/Feb 1981, 121 (Article in serial). SWX3075.

<11> Farrar R A H, 1983, The Final Season of Excavation at Redcliff, Arne, 148 (Article in serial). SWX3083.

<12> Farrar R A H, 1983, The Black-burnished Ware Factory at Redcliff, Arne, 186-7 (Article in serial). SWX3082.

<13> Papworth, M D J, Trust for Wessex Archaeology, 1983, Isle of Purbeck Survey, IOP 91 (Index). SDO147.

‘At 93558672 the field was in permanent pasture, less than 100m S. of the River Frome. Beyond the hedge to the E. the land is used as a caravan site. 7/7/C’

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive (Index). SDO14738.

Object Number
Object Title
Scope And Content
32/L/14 TRENCH A IX, EAST END OF SLEEPER-WALL BUILDING, VIEW NORTH
32/L/16 TRENCH A IX, NORTH-EAST CORNER OF SLEEPER-WALL BUILDING VIEW SOUTH-EAST
32/L/17 TRENCH A IX, EAST END OF SLEEPER-WALL BUILDING, VIEW SOUTH
32/L/18 TRENCH A IX, NE CORNER OF SLEEPER-WALL BUILDING, VIEW SE
32/L/19 TRENCH A IX, NE CORNER OF SLEEPER-WALL BUILDING, VIEW NW
38/P/10 TRENCH A XI, VIEW ESE. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/11 TRENCH A XI, VIEW SOUTH. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/12 TRENCH A X, VIEW WEST. NORTH PART OF TRENCH SHOWING ANOTHER MODERN FIELD DRAIN
38/P/13 TRENCH A X, VIEW NE SHOWING SECTION
38/P/14 TRENCH A X, VIEW WEST SHOWING MODERN FIELD DRAIN
38/P/15 TRENCH A XI, VIEW SOUTH. SOUTH FACE OF TRENCH DITCH BOTTOM OF NATURAL CLAY
38/P/16 TRENCH A XI, VIEW SOUTH. SLEEPER WALL ON NATURAL CLAY
38/P/17 TRENCH A XI, VIEW SOUTH. SLEEPER WALL ON NATURAL CLAY
38/P/18 TRENCH A XII, VIEW NORTH. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/19 TRENCH A XII, VIEW SOUTH. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/20 TRENCH A XII, VIEW SOUTH. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/21 TRENCH A XII, VIEW NORTH. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/22 TRENCH A XII, VIEW NORTH. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/23 TRENCH A XII, VIEW WEST. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/24 TRENCH A XII, VIEW WEST. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/25 TRENCH A XII, VIEW ESE. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/26 TRENCH A XII, VIEW ESE. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/27 TRENCH A XII, VIEW ESE. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/28 TRENCH A XII, VIEW WEST. SLEEPER WALL
38/P/3 TRENCH A X, VIEW SW. 'PIE-DISH' IN SITU WITH RIM TO WEST MODERN FIELD DRAIN IN FOREGROUND
38/P/4 TRENCH A X, VIEW SSE. 'PIE-DISH' AND RIM IN SITU NEXT TO MODERN FIELD DRAIN
38/P/5 TRENCH A X, VIEW EAST. 'PIE-DISH' AND RIM IN SITU
38/P/6 TRENCH A X, VIEW SE. 'COOKING POT'(RIM AND SHOULDER) IN SITU NEXT TO MODERN FIELD DRAIN
38/P/7 TRENCH A X, VIEW SE. 'COOKING POT'(RIM AND SHOULDER) IN SITU NEXT TO MODERN FIELD DRAIN
38/P/8 TRENCH A X, VIEW NE. 'COOKING POT'(RIM AND SHOULDER) IN SITU NEXT TO MODERN FIELD DRAIN
38/P/9 TRENCH A XI, VIEW SOUTH. SLEEPER-WALL
61/C/10 TRENCH A XVI, VIEW SW SHOWING, IN SECTION, THE EAST END OF DITCH OR PIT (A XI/A XV)
61/C/11 KNEADING CLAY FOR POTTING
61/C/12 ADDING A RING TO A HANDMADE FACSIMILE DISH
61/C/13 HANDMADE FACSIMILE COOKING POT. THICKER RING ADDED TO FASHION THE NECK
61/C/14 HANDMADE FACSIMILE COOKING POT. FASHIONING THE RIM
61/C/15 TRENCH A XVIII, VIEW NE. HEARTH FEATURE ON NEARSIDE OF OLD COLLARED TILE-DRAIN
61/C/16 HANDMADE FACSIMILE COOKING POT. BURNISHING THE RIM WITH ANCIENT PEBBLE BURNISH
61/C/17 TRENCH A XX, VIEW SE (A XV BEYOND). TWO DITCHES WITH DAY RIDGES INBETWEEN
61/C/18 HANDMADE FACSIMILE COOKING POT; SCRIBING THE LATTICE WITH ANCIENT MODULE BURNISH
61/C/19 HANDMADE FACSIMILE DISH; ADDING SLIGHT CHAMFER TO EDGE OF BASE
61/C/6 TRENCH A XVI, VIEW SE. WALL FEATURE AFTER REMOVAL OF UPPER CAPSTONE COURSE
61/C/7 TRENCH A XVI, VIEW SSE. WALL FEATURE AFTER REMOVAL OF UPPER CAPSTONE COURSE
61/C/8 TRENCH A XVII, VIEW SW. PURBECK STONE FEATURE
61/C/9 TRENCH A XVI, VIEW WSW. WALL FEATURE REMOVED SHOWING TOOL MARKS AT BASE OF BEDDING TRENCH
97/H/29 BARROW B FROM SOUTH-WEST
Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNCopyright: UNKNOWN
AA71/05805 LIMESTONE HEARTH, VIEW WEST
AA71/05806 LIMESTONE HEARTH, VIEW EAST
AA71/05807 LIMESTONE HEARTH, VIEW WEST
AA71/05808 GENERAL VIEW SOUTH DURING EXCAVATION
AA71/05809 GENERAL VIEW NORTH DURING EXCAVATION
AA71/05810 EAST FACE OF EXCAVATION
AA71/05811 EAST FACE OF EXCAVATION
AA71/05812 NORTH-EAST CORNER OF EXCAVATION
AA71/05813 SOUTH FACE OF EXCAVATION
AA71/05814 GENERAL VIEW NORTH-EAST
AA71/05815 WEST FACE OF EXCAVATION
AA71/05816 DETAIL OF STRATIFICATION, EAST FACE
AA77/03963 TRENCH A IV, VIEW WEST, GULLY ACROSS NORTH-WEST CORNER
AA77/03965 TRENCH A IV, VIEW WEST, GULLY ACROSS NORTH-WEST CORNER
AA77/03966 TRENCH A IV EXTENSION, VIEW SOUTH CLAY CAPPING TO MODERN FIELD DRAIN
AA77/03967 TRENCH A IV EXTENSION, VIEW SOUTH-WEST CLAY-CAPPED MODERN FIELD DRAIN CUT INTO NATURAL CLAY
AA77/03968 TRENCH A IV EXTENSION, VIEW EAST CLAY-CAPPED MODERN FIELD DRAIN
BB70/07538 ROMAN POT WASTER FROM POTTER'S FIELD
BB70/07539 ROMAN POT WASTER FROM POTTER'S FIELD
BB70/07540 ROMAN POT WASTER FROM POTTER'S FIELD
BB70/07541 ROMAN POT WASTER FROM POTTER'S FIELD
BB70/07542 ROMAN POT WASTER FROM POTTER'S FIELD
BB89/05396 4 ROMAN POTS
BB89/05397 ROMAN POTS
BB89/05398 RB POTTERY FROM REDCLIFF SITE
BB89/05399 RB POTS
BB89/05400 RB POTS
F52/59/3 ROMAN 'VAT' (CLAY-LINED BASIN), VIEW FROM EAST
F52/59/5 ROMAN 'VAT' (CLAY-LINED BASIN), VIEW FROM WEST

<15> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456724 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Mar 1 2024 4:41PM