See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Site of Rendles Pottery which was demolished a few years before 1906. A row of terraced houses was built in its stead. These too have now been demolished and the site is now part of a car park.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020922: Barnstaple Castle

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS53SE/214
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS53SE77

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• POTTERY WORKS (XVII to Late 20th Century - 1601 AD to 2000 AD)

Full description

Unknown, 18/03/1983, Site of pottery (Photograph). SDV90807.

1823, Map of the Lands and Tenements Belonging to the Feofees of the Poor Lands of Pilton, Map 1 (A-C) (Record Office Collection). SDV90795.

Site is shown in detail as Rendall's Pottery on a map of 1823.

Wood, J., 1843, Plan of the Town of Barnstaple from Actual Survey (Cartographic). SDV91852.

Site is shown as Rendle's Pottery on John Wood's Town Plan of 1843.

Ordnance Survey, 1855-1895, First Edition 1:500 Town Map (Cartographic). SDV338879.

Pottery marked.

Strong, H. W., 1891, The Potteries of North Devon, 390 (Article in Serial). SDV87986.

First in row of cottages on Potter's Lane contains possible relic of potter's guild. In one of the bedrooms a coat-of-arms is flanked with figures, the date 1675 and initials IB, AB and CB. 17th century plasterwork.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Terraced houses shown on the site of the pottery on the 1904-1906 25 inch Ordnance Survey map.

Charbonnier, T., 1906, Notes on North Devon Pottery of the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries., 255, 256, 259 (Article in Serial). SDV342234.

The North Walk pottery was pulled down a few years before 1906. Evidence suggests that it was in production early in the 17th century. It was formerly owned by Rendle and Son, later by Brannam. Apart from the wooden tile mould, also a roughly shaped clay bat with the pattern of such a mould impressed on the top, sides and front was found in the North Walk. Some pottery finds were deposited in the North Devon Athenaeum.

Watkins, C. M., 1960, North Devon Pottery and its Export to North America in the Seventeenth Century (Article in Serial). SDV20478.

Keen, L., 1969, A Series of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Lead-Glazed Relief Tiles from North Devon, 146 (Article in Serial). SDV15342.

Pottery in North Walk, Barnstaple. A tile mould and tiles were discovered in 1900, evidence of relief tile manufacture at Brannam's North Walk Pottery.

Bone, M., 1973, Barnstaple's Industrial Archaeology, 17 (Monograph). SDV78228.

The oldest pottery site in Barnstaple to survive into modern times. When the pottery was dismantled in 1900, 17th century sherds were found and a potters guild sign dated 1675.

Grant, A., 1981, The North Devon Pottery Industry of the Later Seventeenth Century (Extract) (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV7737.

The North Devon Pottery industry has been recently studied. The documentary evidence for this pottery site in the seventeenth century and later has been examined in detail. The evidence for ten plots of land is given in Appendix A and some findings from the 1971-74 excavations are noted. The excavated site of metal working furnace is shown on Map 4. Potter's Quay lay immediately west of the pottery area (on the present line of North Walk) until the Yeo was embanked in 1757.

Brannam, P., 1982, A Family Business - The Story of a Pottery, 3, 10, 23 128 (Monograph). SDV72968.

The North Walk pottery was owned by the Rendel family in the early 19th century but by 1840 it was being rented by Brannams, who subsequently purchased it and ran it until its demolition. Sketch in North Devon Athenaeum (reproduced on page 128) shows pottery prior to demolition. A row of six brick houses was built on the site in about 1900.

Henderson, C., 1983, Barnstaple Local Public Inquiry. Devon Archaeological Statement. Appendix 6, 22 (Un-published). SDV357965.

North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit, 1986, An Excavation at North Devon Area Library Site, Barnstaple; Summary Report (Report - Excavation). SDV76038.

North Devon District Council, 1987, Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act. Barnstaple Potteries - Proposed Scheduling (Correspondence). SDV354420.

Letters to English Heritage from North Devon District Council objecting to the proposal to schedule the area of the potteries. The principal objection being that the proposed area is intended as a car park for the library that is currently under construction. It is considered that scheduling will do nothing to increase the level of protection already offered to the site.

English Heritage, 1987, Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act: Barnstaple Potteries (Correspondence). SDV354421.

Letter to North Devon District Council advising of the proposal to schedule the area of the Barnstaple potteries.

Griffith, F., 1988, Devon's Past. An Aerial View, 73 (Monograph). SDV64198.

Lovatt, A. M., 1990, The Excavation of Three Post-Medieval Pottery Kilns at Barnstaple 1986-1987 (Report - Excavation). SDV319605.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, Barnstaple Castle Car Park Scheme: Phase 1: Archaeological Assessment, 12, Fig. 11 (Report - Assessment). SDV319631.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

The site is now a car park.

Cramp, C., 2015, North Devon Relief-Decorated Ceramics in the Household, 197, 215; Fig 8.1 (Article in Monograph). SDV365391.

The wooden tile stamp found in 1900 during demolition was later donated to the British Museum.
Four of the tile designs recorded from secular sites can now be attributed to the North Walk potteries.
A "Long" firedog, with rectangular lion relief stamp N11, three each side with part of another stamped vertically at the raised end, the end part having broken off. This firedog shows some signs of heart damage; it may have been used in the home of a potter. Found in "an ancillary pit" at the kiln site. Fragments of another firedog with the same stamps were also found.

Allan, J. + Griffiths, N. + Mills, A., 2020, Some Recent Finds of North Devon Pottery, 243; Appendix 8 (Article in Serial). SDV364780.

A few of the finds recovered from the Taw riverbed (MDV72925) are wasters, whose most likely source is the Potters Lane kilns, 200m west [sic] of the findspot; they may have been thrown in the Yeo where it runs beside the pottery site, then swept downstream to the confluence with the Taw.

Noel Hume, I., January 1982, New Clues to an Old Mystery, 71 + photos (Article in Serial). SDV90792.

Devonshire Pottery has been found on the site of Wolstenholme Towne in Virginia which was sacked in 1622 and on the wreck of the Sea Venture, the flagship of Sir George Somers which was wrecked off Bermuda in 1609.

Miles, T. J., July 1974, Unknown, 307-308 (Article in Serial). SDV90793.

Excavations on Castle Green by the Barnstaple Excavation Committee in 1974 located the dumps of the North Walk Potteries with material dating between 1665 and 1685. Dates and initials on the pottery from the site were matched with documented potters.

Timms, S. C., Nov 1983, Barnstaple Local Public Inquiry. Proof Evidence, 4 (Report - non-specific). SDV355652.

Exeter City Council, Unknown, North Devon Pottery (Leaflet). SDV355422.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Unknown, SS53SE77 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV90808.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV15342	Article in Serial: Keen, L.. 1969. A Series of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Lead-Glazed Relief Tiles from North Devon. Journal of the British Archaeological Association. 32. Photocopy + Digital. 146.
SDV20478	Article in Serial: Watkins, C. M.. 1960. North Devon Pottery and its Export to North America in the Seventeenth Century. United States National Museum Bulletin. 225. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV319605	Report - Excavation: Lovatt, A. M.. 1990. The Excavation of Three Post-Medieval Pottery Kilns at Barnstaple 1986-1987. North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV319631	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. Barnstaple Castle Car Park Scheme: Phase 1: Archaeological Assessment. Exeter Archaeology Report. 03.62. A4 Stapled + Digital. 12, Fig. 11.
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV338879	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1855-1895. First Edition 1:500 Town Map. First Edition 1:500 Town Map. Map (Digital).
SDV342234	Article in Serial: Charbonnier, T.. 1906. Notes on North Devon Pottery of the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 38. A5 Hardback. 255, 256, 259.
SDV350786	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2013. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV354420	Correspondence: North Devon District Council. 1987. Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act. Barnstaple Potteries - Proposed Scheduling. Objections to proposed scheduling of Barnstaple Potteries. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV354421	Correspondence: English Heritage. 1987. Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act: Barnstaple Potteries. Letter to North Devon Council. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV355422	Leaflet: Exeter City Council. Unknown. North Devon Pottery. Exeter Museums Publication. 80. A3 Folded + digital.
SDV355652	Report - non-specific: Timms, S. C.. Nov 1983. Barnstaple Local Public Inquiry. Proof Evidence. Devon County Council. A4 Stapled + Digital. 4.
SDV357965	Un-published: Henderson, C.. 1983. Barnstaple Local Public Inquiry. Devon Archaeological Statement. Appendix 6. A4 Stapled + Digital. 22.
SDV364780	Article in Serial: Allan, J. + Griffiths, N. + Mills, A.. 2020. Some Recent Finds of North Devon Pottery. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 78. Paperback Volume. 243; Appendix 8.
SDV365391	Article in Monograph: Cramp, C.. 2015. North Devon Relief-Decorated Ceramics in the Household. West Country Households 1500-1700. Hardback Volume. 197, 215; Fig 8.1.
SDV64198	Monograph: Griffith, F.. 1988. Devon's Past. An Aerial View. Devon's Past. An Aerial View. Paperback Volume. 73.
SDV72968	Monograph: Brannam, P.. 1982. A Family Business - The Story of a Pottery. A Family Business - The Story of a Pottery. A4 Stapled + Digital. 3, 10, 23 128.
SDV76038	Report - Excavation: North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit. 1986. An Excavation at North Devon Area Library Site, Barnstaple; Summary Report. North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV7737	Post-Graduate Thesis: Grant, A.. 1981. The North Devon Pottery Industry of the Later Seventeenth Century (Extract). Exeter University PhD Thesis. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV78228	Monograph: Bone, M.. 1973. Barnstaple's Industrial Archaeology. Barnstaple's Industrial Archaeology. A5 Paperback. 17.
SDV87986	Article in Serial: Strong, H. W.. 1891. The Potteries of North Devon. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 23. 390.
SDV90792	Article in Serial: Noel Hume, I.. January 1982. New Clues to an Old Mystery. The National Geographic Magazine. 161.1. 71 + photos.
SDV90793	Article in Serial: Miles, T. J.. July 1974. Unknown. Current Archaeology. 45. Unknown. 307-308.
SDV90795	Record Office Collection: 1823. Map of the Lands and Tenements Belonging to the Feofees of the Poor Lands of Pilton. DRO 1239F/MP. Map (Paper). Map 1 (A-C).
SDV90807	Photograph: Unknown. 18/03/1983. Site of pottery. Slide.
SDV90808	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. Unknown. SS53SE77. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV91852	Cartographic: Wood, J.. 1843. Plan of the Town of Barnstaple from Actual Survey. Map + Digital.
	Linked images:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV1377 - Excavation of Post-Medieval Pottery Kilns at Barnstaple
• EDV1378 - Barnstaple Castle Car Park Scheme Archaeological Assessment

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.