1
Test-Pit 38: 21 Market Place (SK 40658 03044)
Test-pit 38 was excavated in lawn in the rear garden of 21 Market Place, on the eastern side of the street at SK
40658 03044 (Figure 1). Over two days on 21-22 July 2018, the test-pit was dug to a depth of 1.1m with eleven
spits recorded. The excavation was carried out by Jane Board and team.
Figure 1: Excavation of Test-Pit 38. Looking east.
Figure 2: Test-Pit 38 post-excavation. Looking north.
2
During the excavation, c.0.4m of turf and greyish-brown sandy-silt topsoil (Spits 1-4) was removed. Beneath
this was c.0.7m of greyish-orange silty-sand subsoil (Spits 4-11). The natural substratum, compact brownish-
orange sandy-gravel, was reached at the base of the test-pit c.1.1m below the ground. No archaeological
features or deposits were recorded (Figure 2).
In all, 779 individual finds (18.221kg) were recovered from the test-pit (Table 1). Post-medieval and modern
material was found throughout the test-pit and it was evident that the ground here was extensively reworked
in the past. This included 314 pieces of post-medieval/modern building material, predominately brick and tile
rubble, and lime mortar. Pottery from all levels of the test-pit included 314 sherds of modern and later post-
medieval china, cream ware, glazed earthenware, mottled ware, slipware, stoneware and salt glazed ware
(c.1650-present). There was also 8 sherds of earlier post-medieval Surrey whiteware, Midland Blackware and
Midland Yellow ware (c.1550-1650), as well as 3 sherds of later medieval Midland Purple ware (c.375-1550),
4 sherds of medieval Chilvers Coton ware and sandy ware (c.1250-1400), and a single sherd of Roman
Derbyshire ware (AD c.43-410) - Figure 3.
Figure 3: Medieval (bottom left), late medieval (top left) and Roman (right) pot from TP 38.
Figure 4: Other finds from TP 38: the neck of a pewter flask (top left), the bone handle of a pocket knife (top right) and
a piece of clay tobacco pipe stamped with the makers marks ‘I’ and ‘H’ (bottom).
3
Other finds included 13 pieces of clay tobacco pipe (c.1650-194) including part of a fluted pipe bowl of late
19th-century date stamped with the maker’s mark ‘I’ and ‘H’ on either side of the spur (Figure 4). This
relatively small assemblage contrasts significantly with the large quantity of clay tobacco pipe found in Test-
pit 11, only 5m to the south in the rear garden of 23 Market Place (part of the same row of cottages). The
assemblage from Test-pit 11 was suggested to be evidence of manufacture or sale of clay tobacco pipes on the
premises. If this is the case, contrasting quantities of material from the two test-pits suggests that this was
either taking place at the southern end of the row of cottages or, more likely, broken pipe material was being
discarded in a refuse dump on the southern side of the property.
The test-pit also produced 40 sherds of modern bottle and window glass, 6 iron nails, a bottle cap, a plastic
button, part of a pewter flask, and the bone and iron handle of a pocket knife (Figure 4). A small quantity of
animal bone, some exhibiting butchery marks was also present, along with some iron slag, clinker, coal and
charcoal. This was in sufficient quantity to suggest metalworking may have been taking place nearby.
The presence of material of mixed periods throughout the test-pit is a clear indication that the ground here was
extensively reworked in the past. Overall, and combined with Test-pit 11, the two test-pits have produced
nothing to suggest significant activity on the site before the late 15th or 16th century, with the bulk of the
assemblage, particularly the pottery and clay tobacco pipe, indicating sustained habitation only from the mid
17th century onwards. This makes it possible that the row of three late 17th-century timber-framed buildings
(19-23) which presently line the street frontage are the first buildings to occupy the site, with the bulk of the
finds assemblage relating to the occupation of these buildings rather than earlier structures.
Two pieces of flint debitage, a core on flake and a flint core, waste from the initial stages of flint knapping,
were also found in the test-pit. This suggests flint knapping was taking place nearby, most likely in the
Neolithic period or the Bronze Age (c.4000-700 BC), and is good evidence for prehistoric activity in the
vicinity. Whilst the small quantity of Roman, medieval and later medieval pottery was most likely introduced
to the soil through manuring cultivated ground with domestic waste transported from elsewhere.
Table 1: Catalogue of finds from Test-Pit 38.
Test
-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes
38 1 BM 6 Lime mortar Unknown
38 1 Bone 4 Misc animal bone Unknown
38 1 CBM 103 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 1 CBM 2 Greyish blue tile Modern 12mm thick
38 1 Clay pipe 3 Clay tobacco pipe
stem fragment Modern 1.6mm diam. bore
38 1 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
bowl Modern
Fluted bowl, spur, late 19th C, stamped
with letters ‘I’ and ‘H’ on either side of
spur
38 1 Flint 1 Flint - core on
flake Neolithic/Bronze Age
38 1 Glass 1 Clear flat privacy
glass Modern Ribbed
38 1 Glass 3 Clear flat glass Modern
38 1 Glass 14 Clear curved glass Modern inc. jar & bottle rims
38 1 Glass 1 Brown curved
glass Modern
38 1 Glass 1 Blue flat glass Modern Medicene bottle?
38 1 Industrial 3 Slag Unknown
38 1 Industrial 3 Coal Unknown
38 1 Other
finds 1
Pewter flask neck
fragment Modern
38 1 Other
finds 1 Button Modern 2-hole
38 1 Pot 37 China/porcelain Modern
38 1 Pot 2 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval
38 1 Pot 4 Earthenware -
unclassified Modern
4
Test
-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes
38 1 Pot 3 Cream ware Modern
38 1 Pot 5 Stoneware -
unclassified Modern
38 1 Pot 2 White salt glazed later Post-medieval
38 1 Pot 1 Brown salt glazed
stoneware later Post-medieval
38 1 Pot 2 Earthenware 1/2 later Post-medieval
38 1 Pot 2 Slipware later Post-medieval press moulded
38 1 Pot 1 Black glazed
earthenware later Post-medieval
38 1 Pot 1 Mottled ware later Post-medieval
38 1 Pot 1 Medieval sandy
ware later High medieval 14th C+, frag - hard fired
38 2 BM 1 Lime mortar Unknown
38 2 BM 15 Decayed tarmac Modern
38 2 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown
38 2 CBM 47 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 2 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
bowl fragment
later Post-
medieval/modern scorched
38 2 Glass 1 Clear curved glass Modern
38 2 Glass 1 Green curved
glass Modern
38 2 Industrial 2 Coal Unknown
38 2 Pot 10 China/porcelain Modern
38 2 Pot 1 Earthenware -
unclassified Modern
38 2 Pot 3 Cream ware Modern moulded dec
38 2 Pot 4 Stoneware -
unclassified Modern
38 2 Pot 1 Surrey Whiteware later medieval/early
Post-medieval c.1400-c.1600
38 3 BM 2 Lime mortar Unknown
38 3 BM 15 Decayed tarmac Modern
38 3 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown
38 3 CBM 9 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 3 CBM 2 Greyish blue tile Modern 12mm & 24mm
38 3 CBM 4 Pinkish orange
CBM Modern
38 3 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
bowl fragment
later Post-
medieval/modern
38 3 Flint 1 Flint - core Neolithic/Bronze Age
38 3 Glass 6 Clear curved glass Modern inc. bottle rim
38 3 Glass 1 Green curved
glass Modern
38 3 Glass 1 Clear flat glass Modern
38 3 Glass 2 Pale blue curved
glass Modern inc. melted glass
38 3 Industrial 33 Clinker Unknown from furnace?
38 3 Industrial 1 Slag Unknown
38 3 Pot 21 China/porcelain Modern
38 3 Pot 3 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval
38 3 Pot 6 Cream ware Modern
38 3 Pot 1 Mottled ware later Post-medieval
5
Test
-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes
38 3 Pot 1 Earthenware 1 early Post-medieval
38 3 Pot 1 Chilvers Coton A
ware later High medieval c.1250+
38 4 BM 3 Lime mortar Unknown
38 4 CBM 14 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 4 CBM 6 Reddish orange
tile Modern 12mm thick
38 4 Glass 3 Pale turquoise
curved glass Modern
38 4 Industrial 9 Coal Unknown
38 4 Industrial 4 Slag & vesicular
slag Unknown
38 4 Metalwork 4 Fe objects Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted
38 4 Metalwork 1 Bottle cap Modern
38 4 Pot 15 China/porcelain Modern
38 4 Pot 3 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval
38 4 Pot 5 Cream ware Modern
38 4 Pot 1 Mottled ware later Post-medieval
38 4 Pot 1 Brown salt glazed
stoneware later Post-medieval
38 4 Pot 2 Midland yellow
ware early Post-medieval bowl rim
38 5 BM 1 Lime mortar Unknown
38 5 Bone 5 Misc animal bone Unknown
38 5 CBM 30 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 5 CBM 10 Reddish orange
tile Modern 12mm thick
38 5 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
bowl fragment
later Post-
medieval/modern Thick walled
38 5 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
stem fragment later Post-medieval 2.4mm diam. bore
38 5 Flint 1 Flint - natural Unknown
38 5 Glass 2 Clear flat glass Modern
38 5 Glass 1 Green flat glass Modern
38 5 Industrial 23 Coal Unknown
38 5 Metalwork 2 Fe objects Unknown Most likely nails, heavily rusted
38 5 Pot 15 China/porcelain Modern
38 5 Pot 4 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval
38 5 Pot 1 Slipware later Post-medieval press moulded
38 5 Pot 1 Midland
Blackware early Post-medieval
38 5 Pot 1 Midland yellow
ware early Post-medieval
38 5 Pot 1
Midland purple
ware -
unclassified
later medieval
38 5 Pot 1 Medieval sandy
ware later High medieval c.1250+, white bodied
38 5 Shell 1 Oyster shell
fragment Unknown
38 6 Bone 1 Misc animal bone Unknown
38 6 CBM 7 Orangeish red
CBM Modern
38 6 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
stem fragment Modern 1.6mm diam. bore
6
Test
-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes
38 6 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
stem fragment later Post-medieval 2.4mm diam. bore
38 6 Flint 1 Flint - calcined
flake fragment Neolithic/Bronze Age
38 6 Glass 1 Green curved
glass Modern
38 6 Industrial 9 Coal Unknown
38 6 Pot 18 China/porcelain Modern dish - joining frags
38 6 Pot 2 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval
38 6 Pot 6 Cream ware Modern
38 6 Pot 1 Midland purple
ware 4 later medieval buff bodied
38 6 Pot 1 Chilvers Coton A
ware later High medieval c.1250+
38 7 BM 1 Lime mortar Unknown
38 7 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown
38 7 CBM 7 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 7 Glass 1 Clear curved glass Modern
38 7 Industrial 3 Clinker Unknown
38 7 Industrial 7 Charcoal Unknown
38 7 Other
finds 1
Fe & bone object,
poss. pocket knife
handle
Unknown
38 7 Pot 5 China/porcelain Modern
38 7 Pot 1 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval
38 7 Pot 2 Cream ware Modern
38 7 Pot 1 Brown salt glazed
stoneware later Post-medieval
38 7 Pot 1 Stoneware -
unclassified Modern
38 7 Pot 1
Cistercian
ware/Midland
Blackware
later medieval/early
Post-medieval
38 7 Pot 1 Derbyshire ware Roman
38 8 Bone 3 Misc animal bone Unknown
38 8 CBM 13 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 8 Clay pipe 2 Clay tobacco pipe
stem fragment later Post-medieval 2.4mm diam. bore
38 8 Industrial 28 Charcoal & coal Unknown
38 8 Pot 12 China/porcelain Modern
38 8 Pot 1 Cream ware Modern
38 8 Pot 1 Surrey Whiteware later medieval/early
Post-medieval c.1400-c.1600, or type ware
38 8 Pot 1
Midland purple
ware -
unclassified
later medieval
38 8 Pot 1 unidentified Roman?
38 9 Bone 2 Misc animal bone Unknown Butchery marks
38 9 CBM 9 Orangeish red
CBM Modern
38 9 CBM 1 Reddish orange
nib tile Modern 18mm thick
38 9 Industrial 6 Charcoal & coal Unknown
38 9 Pot 9 China/porcelain Modern
7
Test
-pit Spit Material* No. Description Date Notes
38 10 CBM 6 Reddish orange
CBM Modern
38 10 Clay pipe 1 Clay tobacco pipe
bowl fragment
later Post-
medieval/modern
38 10 Industrial 11 Charcoal & coal Unknown
38 10 Pot 2 Earthenware 2 later Post-medieval
*BM – Building Material, CBM – Ceramic Building Material