Pit c.3' diameter roughly circular with concave base. Machine trench cut through the centre and had removed at least half of the fill. Sides lined with clay which had then been burnt in-situ. Excavator did not see any stoke holes, probably removed by the machine. Fill of the pit included kiln furniture, an assemblage of pottery (mainly well made splashed ware jugs and unglazed bowls, including many wasters) and a layer of ashes at the base. The locally produced pottery was dated to mid C12 on typological grounds, this dating corroborated by the presence of several mid / late C12 ridged shouldered Lincoln Fine Shelly ware jars in the assemblage. (1) (2)
The pit with burnt clay lining may have been the central oven of a mid C12 pottery kiln (probably single flue updraft type). When the kiln was no longer required the oven was backfilled with a quantity of kiln furniture and wasters. Some of this may have been left in place following the final firing; however, much was derived from what was probably a surface waste dump nearby (which included a small quantity of ‘domestic’ imported pottery), presumably accumulated as a result of cleaning out of the ware chamber after firings over an unknown period of time. (2) (3)
See M3964 for possible med bloomery across the road, M3962 for Skegby Manor

<1> Budge DJ, Sep 2010, Preliminary Assessment of Ceramics and Fired Clay from a Previously Unknown Medieval Pottery Production Site at Skegby, Nottinghamshire (Unpublished document). SNT2575.

<2> Budge DJ, 2011, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT2577.

<3> Thoroton Society, 2010, TTS, pp 184 - 186 (Published document). SNT2576.