Squirrels Hall
In July 2004, whilst the team were digging in Roy's Orchard, James Stinton,
a local farmer, brought in a small bag of pipes and pottery which he had
found whilst ploughing. The field in question is called Squirrels Hall
on the tithe map of 1846. From the variety of date range and known
source of some of the pipes it was assumed that the site was a domestic
habitation.
Later in the year when the field was again ploughed a field walking
meeting was arranged and more material collected from an area
distinguished by darker coloured soil and a small earthwork. It was not
until later when the material was washed that it became apparent that
clay pipe making in the eighteenth century was represented within the
collected assemblage.
This showed up in a collection of nine similar stem stamps with the
initials EP and a debased fleur de lis or crown over. There was also
within the assemblage one stem with adhering fired white clay
recognisable af a piece from within the kiln structure. This fragment
also had beneath the encrustation another EP stamp.
This clearly represents the next development from the RoyÕs orchard pipe
assemblage; the first stem stamps in the region. Only two spurred bowl
fragments were recovered which may belong to the stamped stems. The
pottery assemblage included press moulded slip decorated dishes. These
are absent from the Roy's orchard assemblage.
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