Porcelain waste and porcelain production in Worcester: the landscape evidence from fieldwalking

Abstract

Field survey can provide a longitudinal sample of ceramic production from the porcelain factories which operated in the city of Worcester from 1751 to 2009. Until the twentieth century domestic and industrial waste from the city was used as manure/hard core on fields throughout the county. We have found kiln waste and biscuit wasters from the earliest phases of production to wares made in the late 19th/twentieth century, along with contemporaneous domestic discard. This assemblage provides a series of snapshots of porcelain and semi-porcelain production allowing us to identify trends in types of fabrics, forms, manufacturing and consumption.