Casgliadau Arlein

Following the end of the First World War, a Memorial Hall was built in Newport, Pembrokeshire to commemorate residents that had fought in the conflict. During construction, the remains of two pottery kilns were uncovered and Sir Mortimer Wheeler, then Keeper of Archaeology at Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales identified them as medieval. Medieval pottery kilns are extremely rare in Wales, so their discovery was, and remains, one of national importance. Recognising the importance of the discovery,Wheeler arranged for a small selection of pottery and parts of the kiln structure to be donated to the Museum (accession number 21.46).

Unfortunately, one of the kilns was destroyed during construction but the other was preserved under the building. The recovered material was later identified as a local pottery type known as Dyfed Gravel-Tempered Ware, referring to its rough, gritty appearance and dates to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A small range of different vessel types were recorded including storage jars, bowls and roof tile. Many of the vessels were wasters (the waste products from failed firings) and some were glazed. Fragments of slate were also recovered, which had splashes of glaze across one surface, thought to be part of the kiln structure.

In 2016, The Newport Hall Committee commissioned renovation work at the hall. During these works the surviving kiln was re-excavated, uncovering more pottery vessels and kiln furniture. These include additional vessel types such as jugs, pipkins (handled cooking vessel) and alembics (medicinal/distilling jars) and a small selection of this material was donated to the Museum in 2019 (accession number 2019.7H). A full pottery report is expected to be published in 2021.

Local Newport clay. Mixed quartz / fine gravel tempered clay used inside kiln, and therefore fired, used as a support or as a sealent to protect from gases. Body is impressed with fingerprints and the surface is partially covered by drips of green glaze..