17th - 18th centuries. The fabric is fine, with few or no inclusions but with tiny pores (a small percentage of the vessels from one kiln have added ground quartz). It can be oxidised and orange/red or reduced and grey. It is hard, wheel thrown; almost like stoneware. Vessels are thick walled but tygs (two or more handled cups) are finer. Tygs are usually black inside and out in ‘Cistercian’ style. A few tygs decorated with white clay patches or crushed quartz pebbles, in imitation of contemporary pots made elsewhere. Patterns of crushed quartz however are unique to Lingen.
Glaze on inside, sometimes outside as well, sometimes no glaze. Can be dark metallic brown/black, orange/yellow, green.
This industry was first discovered in the 1920s (Watkins, 1924). No Lingen pottery was specifically identified in the Hereford excavations volumes 3 and 4, although large quantities of non-specific fabric A7d was reported, and it is likely that distribution was quite local. Certainly it was at a site in Leominster, Castle Moat, that large quantities of this fabric were first identified at a non-manufacturing context.
fabric in section
external surface of fabric
internal surface of fabric
A range of forms, pancheons, tygs (two handled cups), platters, cooking vessels, jugs and jars. Many have ridges on inside. Small but significant variations from one kiln site to another suggest different potters worked at each site.
There is nothing unique about the forms from other 17th century pottery, apart from their somewhat rough appearance. Most of the decorative techniques are standard for the period, includes red slip, occasionally white slip.