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.

Rim sherd of a jug with thumbed strap handle. Fine fabric with traces of green glaze. Jug type A.

From joint report of the pottery by David Dawson and Oliver Kent: 'Jug type A. These are characterised by very fine potting round the rim and neck, 3mm thick walls being usual. The spout is tightly pinched probably around a thin stick. Strap handles with upturned edges are usually worked into the collared rim with a thumbed 'ear' on either side. They are similarly finished at the base with a pair of thumbed 'ears'. The neck is long on a globular belly. Decoration is limited to incised lines round the neck and belly and very rarely to delicate thumbed wavy strips both horizontal and diagonal (no. 30) [2019.7H/28]. An external glaze was intended. The base is usually flat or gently sagging.'