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Summary

The base of a bowl furnace was recorded during a programme of archaeological work along the route of a water main.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOWL FURNACE (Early Bronze Age to Early Medieval - 2200 BC (Between) to 1399 AD (Between))

Full description

Urmston, Ben, 2008, Avon Support Main, between Roborough and Houndall, near Plymouth, Devon. (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV358939.

Taylor, S. R., 2009, Avon SWW Pipeline, Devon: Archaeological Mitigation Archive report, 20, 25, Fig. 9 (Report - Assessment). SDV364052.

A programme of archaeological work was undertaken along the route of a 13.5km long water main from Roborough to Yondertown. A previous geophysical survey had identified a number of areas likely to contain archaeological deposits.
The base of a bowl furnace [1154] was identified at the northern end of area D4. It is 0.48m long by 0.36m wide by 0.18m deep. It had a charcoal-rich primary fill (1428). The fill of a recut (1186) was found to be 80% slag, provisionally identified as tin slag.
Bowl furnaces were in use from the prehistoric period until the early medieval period. Further research is required firstly to date the furnace and secondly to understand why it is located here. It is possible that it was an early reprocessing centre as it is not thought that there was enough tin bearing material in the immediate vicinity.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6830 - Geophysical Survey, Avon Support Main (Ref: 68262.02)
• EDV6704 - Archaeological Investigations Along the Route of the Avon Water Main Renewal. Avon Pipeline Scheme

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