Post-Medieval Britain in 1966

Abstract

Fieldwork and excavation between 1967 and 1971 disclosed the sites of two glass furnaces in valleys running southwards from the North Yorkshire Moors. At Hutton Common (SE 706883) a vessel-producing furnace was excavated, revealing three main phases of operation, the last of which had a magnetic date late in the 16th century. There was also fragmentary evidence for an auxiliary furnace, perhaps used for annealing. In the Rosedale valley (SE/745932) another complex was excavated; this included a winged melting furnace similar to the Hutton example and also producing vessel glass, and at least two auxiliary furnaces. The dating evidence for this melting furnace was similar, and pottery in and near an adjacent ruined cottage showed that this had been occupied about 1600. There was no documentation directly relating to these sites apart from a glassmaker referred to in the Lastingham parish register for 1593.