Page 57 - John Barber's Oakham Castle and its archaeology

Cooking-Pots and Bowls

Fig. 5.1: Everted rim of globular cooking-pot, with rouletted decoration on outside. Buff ware, grey core. From
rampart (1953).
Fig. 5.2: Similar rim. Buff ware, with reddish surface. From old ground surface (1953).
Fig. 5.3: Similar rim . Grey ware, smoothed surface. From rampart (1953). Six other examples (not illustrated)
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with similar fabric and rims; five can be paralleled at Alstoe Mount, one is an indeterminate fragment.
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Fig. 5.4: Cooking-pot, with everted and moulded rim, blackened externally. From base of rampart (1953).
Fig. 5.5: Rim of flanged bowl. Buff ware, with reddish surface, and thin skin of yellow glaze on top of rim. From
base of rampart (1953).
Fig. 5.6: Rim of flanged bowl, with angular profile. Grey-buff ware, with reddish surface, and yellow to green
glaze. Unstratified.
Fig. 5.7: Rim of flanged bowl, with down-bent flange, and rows of squares stamped on top. Buff ware, with grey
surface. This was from the old ground surface (1953).
Fig. 5.8: Small fragment of rim of flanged bowl, with downbent flange. Buff ware, with grey core, and stamped
rows of squares on top. Unstratified.

There were four other fragmentary examples of flanged bowls; all buff ware, with reddish surface. Two, one from
(2C), and one from (3), are similar to No 5; the other two, one from (3), one from old ground surface (I953), are
like No 8.

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Fig. 5.9: Rim of small bowl, diameter 5.2 in, similar to an example from Alstoe Mount. Green glaze, thicker than
usual. From the bottom layer of the rampart (1953).

A fragment of a similar bowl, in very thin ware, with a spot of glaze on the inside, was found in the same layer.

Fig. 5.10: Rim of Conical cup, bevelled internally. Hard grey ware, and blackened surface. Unstratified.

Pitchers and Jugs

The larger rim-fragments of these vessels are illustrated in Figs. 5.11 to 15. Rims are usually moulded.

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Fig. 5.11: Rim of pitcher. Buff ware with blackened surface. From (3).
Fig. 5.12: Rim of pitcher, much worn. Creamy ware, grooved at neck, with a remnant of glaze on the outside.
From (2d).
Fig. 5.13: Rim of pitcher or jug. The ware is creamy, almost white, with a very smooth surface. From (2d).
Fig. 5.14: Rim of pitcher or jar. Greyish ware, with blackened surface inside and out. The profile is similar to that
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of jars from Leicester, where the type was first recognised. From base of rampart (1953). A similar, abraded
example was found unstratified.
Fig. 5.15: Rim of pitcher. Creamy white ware, with smooth reddish surface, and remnants of yellow glaze
externally. From (3). Although similar in size to one of the jars from Leicester (No 6; 7.8 in. compared to 7.2
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in.), the rim is analogous to that of a jug with a pinched-out lip from South Bond Street, Leicester. It is also
worth noting that a glazed sherd from the bottom of the rampart (1953), of grey fabric, had an irregular
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grooved decoration, as found on this jug, and on a sherd from Alstoe Mount.

Other fragmentary rims, probably of pitchers, came from layer (3) (seven examples); base of rampart (one
example); and between stanchion holes I and II (one example).

There were nine fragments of strap handles, mostly from the rampart:

Fig. 5.16: an unstratified example, shows the normal type from a pitcher.
Fig. 5.17: also unstratified, is smaller and thicker than Fig. 5.16.
Fig. 5.18: from the base of the rampart (1953), has a row of thumb impressions on each side.

There was one sherd only of a ‘developed’ Stamford ware jug, a small fragment of a decorated handle, in a fine
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buff fabric, and a rich green glaze (Fig. 5.19). This was found well away from the rampart, in the west drainage
trench, associated with post-medieval material, and thus has no bearing on the date of the other Stamford sherds.

(b) St Neots Ware

Twenty sherds were discovered, in most cases within the rampart or beneath it. This is under 5% of the total of
Stamford ware, a satisfactory proportion in view of the distribution of the two types. The ware is shelly and wheel-
thrown, with a grey or black core, and often but not always a red to purple surface, which has a characteristic soapy
feel. Of eight rims, six were decorated; one of the four bases was footed, and the remainder were of the normal
sagging type.

Figs. 6.1 and 6.2: Cooking pots with everted rims. Fig. 6.1 has a finger-impressed decoration on the external
moulding. Both unstratified.
Fig. 6.3: Cooking-pot with rolled rim, and regular impressed trellis decoration on top. From bottom of rampart
(1953).

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