Pottery in Herefordshire - Classification

There are various systems for classifying pottery, evolved over many years of archaeological research. The classifications used are generally those developed and used within Herefordshire and adjoining areas. Essentially this is the system developed in the 1980s by the late Alan Vince, who was for many years the leading authority on local pottery, particularly in Hereford City. His original system of several groups reflected the supposed origin of the pottery - A to D were locally or regionally produced while E was pottery from elsewhere in the British Isles, F from the European mainland and G was used for pottery the source of which was at the time unknown. Some of this has changed and the source of fabric G1 is now known to be Stafford.

With the exception of the Romano-British Severn Valley ware (A1), Group A is locally made medieval and early post-medieval pottery, much of which we now believe was made in Hereford City.

The classification is still useful to reference old pottery documentation and to help to identify new pieces. Where appropriate, other classification systems which have been used have been cross-referenced; in particular, reference is frequently made to the pottery classification used by the Worcestershire Online Ceramics Database of Worcestershire County Council

Where not otherwise attributed, the text and the photographs of the pottery were taken by Jennifer Craddock and Rebecca Roseff (RB and medieval) and David Barker (later post-medieval).

The pottery fabrics gallery below opens in a new window which can be zoomed.

©Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, Herefordshire