A Later 17th-Century Assemblage of Ashton Keynes Ware from Somerfield Keynes, Gloucestershire

Archaeological work ahead of housing development at Somerford Keynes, Gloucestershire found a pit containing an assemblage of late 17th-century pottery, almost exclusively products of the Ashton Keynes kilns. The site lies in the adjoining parish to Ashton Keynes, Wiltshire, well-known as a producer of glazed earthenware pottery, and particularly important in the supply of utilitarian vessels to Cirencester and Gloucester between the 16th and 18th centuries. The composition of the group mirrors closely that of the urban markets and, with the addition of a ‘chicken feeder’ form is a likely representative of the kiln repertoire from/in this period. The dominance of Ashton Keynes products in this group, which includes a number of seconds, suggests that local domestic requirements for ceramic could be met almost entirely by the nearby kilns.