Museum Objects
A Northern Gritty Ware jug in Leeds Museums and Galleries Archaeological Collections
© Cistercians in Yorkshire Project, University of Sheffield
LEEDM.D.1967.412
Classified as a Northern Gritty Ware jug (fig.53,
no.206) in S.Moorhouse and A.M.Slowikowski's report on the
pottery in the re-assessment of the excavations that took
place at Kirkstall Abbey between 1950 and 1964 (in
S.Moorhouse and S.Wrathmell, 1987, Kirkstall Abbey volume
1, West Yorkshire Archaeology Service, pp 59-116). The jug
was found in 1951 during excavations in the courtyard of
the Kirkstall Abbey Warming House and was originally
published in the Publications of the Thoresby Society
(Kirkstall Abbey Excavation Second Report 1951, fig.9,
no.21). It seems to have been found in a stone-lined
chamber in the north-west corner of the courtyard, almost
on the threshold of the sub-dorter in the east range. The
deposit has been dated to the early 15th century. Moorhouse
and Slowikowski commented that this jug is unusual in that
it has a twisted rope handle, with a single thumbing at the
base (p.63). This picture was taken as part of the
University of Sheffield Cistercians in Yorkshire Project
and the writer is grateful to Nigel Williamson for
permission to reproduce it here.
Bryan Sitch,
Curator of Archaeology.