Post-Medieval, Industrial and Modern

Post-Medieval, Industrial and Modern 14 Post-Medieval, Industrial and Modern Edited by Mike Bone and David Dawson from contributions by Mike Bone, David Cranstone, David Dawson, David Hunt, Oliver Kent, Mike Ponsford, Andy Pye and Chris Webster Introduction • From c.1540 there was a step-change in the rate of exploitation of our natural resources leading The western aspect of the South West was impor- to radical changes to the landscape. The exploita- tant in earlier times, but during this period it became tion of water for power, transport and later paramount as the strategic interests of Britain devel- the demand for clean drinking water produced oped, first across the Atlantic and then globally. The spectacular changes which apart from individual development of the great naval base at Devonport is monument studies have been largely undocu- an indication of this (Coad 1983). Understanding the mented. Later use of coal-based technology led archaeology of the South West is therefore interde- to the concentration of production and settle- pendent on archaeological work on an international ment in towns/industrial villages. scale and vice versa. The abundance of resources in the region (fuels: coal and natural gas, raw materials • Exploitation for minerals has produced equally for the new age: arsenic, calamine, wolfram, uranium, distinctive landscapes and has remodelled some china clay, ball clay, road stone, as well as traditionally of the “natural” features that are now regarded exploited materials such as copper, tin, lead, agricul- as iconic of the South West, for example, the tural produce and fish) ensured that the region played Avon and Cheddar Gorges, the moorland land- a full part in technological and social changes. scapes of Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor It follows that our constituencies also have to and lengths of the Cornish and Dorset coastline. be viewed from an international perspective. The Post-Medieval archaeology of the West Indies, or • The period is also characterised by an exponen- of the North American colonies, cannot be under- tial increase in the amount of waste produced stood in isolation from the archaeology of South by human society which has both provided the West England. Thus, whether one is character- means of transforming landscapes, particularly in ising the interests of individual people (the general towns, and an enormous opportunity for archae- public), specialist sectors (education, heritage manage- ology. ment, environmental management) or specific interest groups (academic institutions, societies), all have • Use of “artificial” fertilisers and more intensive an international dimension. Fortunately, through cultivation in agriculture has affected habitats and improved communication, there are many new oppor- wildlife. tunities and initiatives to foster closer international collaboration and to share and to test interpretations • The rise of the 19th- and 20th-century chemical with a wide audience. industries has produced significant pollution and contamination. 14.0.1 Broad themes • Transport improvements have taken up much There are several broad themes that are relatively land and exhaust gases and smoke add to pollu- under-explored: tion. 213 The Archaeology of South West England • Above all, the “Industrial Revolution” marked a glass and lead cames have been recorded from exca- significant change in our relationship with the vations at Acton Court together with one example environment, for example, William Smith’s work of painted glass (Rodwell and Bell 2004, 261–3). on geological strata enabled engineers to better Most archaeological reports include a selection of understand and thus exploit mineral wealth much metal fittings amongst small finds including padlocks, more extensively. Conversely, recent appreci- hinges, and nails (for example, C Burrow in Burrow ation of environmental problems has led to a 1988, 134–5). Linda Hall has provided a survey change to “greener” ways of looking at our rela- of fixtures and fitting from standing rural houses in tionship with the environment and the growth of South Gloucestershire (Hall 1983, 43–82) and (Hall the conservation movement. 2001) including windows, stairs, cupboards, hinges etc but also racks, dressers, chimney furniture and Given the urgency of our need as a society to privies placed in the context of the wider architectural understand these mechanisms in order to find strate- context of specific houses. gies to mitigate their future impact, the neglect of archaeological investigation seems almost perverse. Heating and Lighting There are no published examples of ceramic stove tiles from the South West 14.1 Material Culture but ceramic ovens built into chimney structures are This section is structured using seven artefact-based a south-west peninsula regional form exported over headings adapted from those used in Geoff Egan’s a wider area. Brears suggest that these first occur The Medieval Household, Daily Living c.1150–c.1450 in the early Post-Medieval (Brears 1971, 247) but (Egan 1998). These are followed by a list of signifi- most examples appear to belong to the 19th and 20th cant large published groups of material and syntheses. centuries. The relationship with the similar tradition Drawing a line between archaeological research and in Spain has not been explored. Hearth fittings in work concerning standing buildings, extant artefacts ceramic are a regional speciality in North Devon in and collections is problematic. The emphasis here is the 17th century, where relief decorated fire-dogs and on context and consumption rather than production, fire-backs as well as flat-irons occur alongside distinc- trade and typologies. tive tiles (Grant 1983). Metal artefacts associated with Material culture studies take on a different form for heating and lighting are archaeologically scarce, but the later period as, for the 18th and to the greatest there are examples of candlesticks from Acton Court extent for the 19th and 20th centuries, there is a (Rodwell and Bell 2004) and Exeter (Allan 1984). wide range of social and folk-historical studies and of Ceramic candlesticks and candleholders are common specialist work driven by art and design history and by occurring in many Post-Medieval assemblages from the connoisseurial concerns. These are complimented by 16th and 17th centuries. specialist museums and collections. Specialist journals in the UK include the Journal of Material Culture. These Tableware and other Household Equipment later periods tend to have a corresponding shortage Pottery studies are extensive both for regional and of archaeological research. imported wares. Some of the work is regional and international in scope, but much is more local. Fabric of Buildings Post-Medieval roof tile and Studies include Donyatt (Coleman-Smith and Pearson roof furniture has a clear regional character across 1988), Exeter (Allan 1984), Bristol, especially tin-glaze the study area. Slate and pennant roof tiles are locally (Price forthcoming), Barnstaple and North Devon widespread. There is a discussion of the South Devon (Watkins 1960; Grant 1983) and Verwood (Draper types and their distribution in Allan (1984, 300–303). and Copland-Griffiths 2002). Peter Brears’ and Ceramic was used primarily for ridge tiles and finials Andrew McGarva’s broad surveys of rural potteries until late in the period. Clay chimney pots were an are also useful (Brears 1971; McGarva 2002). There emerging form in the later 18th century. Many arch- are major producers, such as those of Barnstaple, aeological reports include finds reports of this mate- Great Torrington, Wrangway, Bridgwater and others, rial (for instance Burrow 1988, 131). Acton Court which have not yet been fully studied but most major (Rodwell and Bell 2004, 235–42) gives a good Late consumption centres have pottery type-series. A Medieval and 16th-century group associated with one general form guide for common types found in the building. Other material from this excavation includes Bristol area has been published (Good and Russett stonework from fireplaces and screens. 1987) and there are good local collections in Taunton, Bristol and Exeter. New techniques promise a means Fixtures, Fittings and Security Early Modern of reconciling these (Taylor in Allan 1999, 57–59). and Post-Medieval window glass has received limited The main emphasis has been on trade, dating and attention. A range of 16th-century domestic plain distribution. Art historical approaches have been 214 Post-Medieval, Industrial and Modern applied to the Bristol and Wincanton tin-glaze indus- from the region, for example from, Acton Court tries (for example by Pountney 1922; Ray 1968; (Crowfoot in (Rodwell and Bell 2004, 399–403) and Britton 1982; Lipski and Archer 1984). For the 19th Taunton (Janaway in Burrow 1988, 150–1). and 20th centuries, published accounts by potters of Leather is more common, including footwear, their own practice include William Fishley Holland clothing and accessories with examples from Exeter (1958) and Peter Brannam (1982). (Friendship-Taylor in Allan 1984, 323–333), Taunton There are several significant groups of ceramic (Good in Leach 1984, 160 and C Burrow in Burrow finds as single assemblages published: Taunton (Leach 1988, 136–9), Acton Court (Mould in Rodwell and 1984); North Petherton (Pearson 1979); King Street, Bell 2004, 403–5) and Bristol (Good 1987, 110–120). Bristol (Barton 1964); Narrow Quay, Bristol (Good 1987), several from Exeter (Allan 1984; 2003) and Plymouth (Allan and Barber 1992). There are also

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