The Somerset Pottery Fabric Type Series (SPFTS) brings together medieval and post-medieval pottery sherds found across the historic county of Somerset in an easy-to-access reference collection stored at the Somerset Heritage Centre in Taunton. Our aim is that the SPFTS will contain at least one sherd of each type of medieval and post-medieval pottery found within the historic county of Somerset.

Introduction

The initial work to compile the SPFTS concluded at the end of June 2023. The project, funded by Historic England, was designed to create a reference collection of medieval and post-medieval pottery fabrics found in Somerset which can be used as a comparative resource for excavated material and chance finds. The project was undertaken by Naomi Payne with the help and advice of David Dawson, and was managed by Amal Khreisheh.

South West Heritage Trust looks after an extensive collection of medieval and post-medieval pottery, including material from the kilns at Donyatt and Nether Stowey. Accessing typical sherds has not previously been a particularly quick or easy process, and few people have made use of the collections in this way. We hope that the SPFTS will enable more consistency in the recording of pottery locally, which will allow more effective comparisons between sites.

Geographical Scope

The SPFTS features pottery fabrics found within the historic county of Somerset (currently, the county of Somerset, the unitary authorities of North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset, and the City of Bristol south of the river Avon).

11 site-specific type series have been fully incorporated into the SPFTS and there are also sherds from 22 further sites. Coverage is patchier in the north and east of the county and we are looking at ways to resolve this.

Time Period

The SPFTS covers the Late Saxon period (c. AD 900/950) to c. 1800. The available evidence suggests that pottery was not manufactured and little used in this area from the end of Roman Britain (c. AD 410) until the Later Saxon period.

Additions

The SPFTS is a work-in-progress to which further fabrics can be added. There are currently around 85 medieval fabrics and 55 post-medieval fabric represented.

Accessing the Type Series

The physical reference collection is stored at the Somerset Heritage Centre in Norton Fitzwarren, near Taunton, where it can be consulted in person. If you would like to access the SPFTS, or have any queries relating to it, please contact us via museums@swheritage.org.uk or telephone 01823 278805.

All reference sherds have been photographed and described in detail in database records, which we will anticipate will be made available online towards the end of 2023. When the online database goes live, we plan to offer training sessions on using the Type Series. Please contact museums@swheritage.org.uk if you would like to be kept informed about training.

Keep in Touch

Follow the project’s Twitter account: [Somerset Pottery Fabric Type Series (@SomersetPottery) / Twitter]