| Title: |
A medieval industrial complex and its landscape: |
| Subtitle: |
the metalworking watermills and workshops of Bordesley Abbey |
| Series: |
Council for British Archaeology Research Reports
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| Volume: |
92
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| Number of Pages: |
341 |
| Downloads: |
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| Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
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| DOI |
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| Publication Type: |
Monograph (in Series)
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| Abstract: |
Third in the series of reports on work on the Cistercian Abbey of Bordsley. The report describes excavations and fieldwork undertaken between 1980 and 1991 in the eastern part of the precinct, the area of the monastic watermills and workshops, with the aim of elucidating the development of the part of the River Arrow valley in which the precinct is situated. The valley was cleared and drained in the third quarter of the twelfth century, and a workshop was constructed, followed by a pond and a leat within which was constructed the head race, wheel pit and tail race of a vertically-wheeled water mill. A large earthfast mill building containing hearths was also constructed. This was destroyed by fire in the late twelfth century, and a new tail race superimposed on the first. A mill building of similar proportions to the first was erected on padstones. In the early fourteenth century a new wheel trough and tail race were superimposed on the earlier structure, and a workshop built to the east of the mill. The wheel trough and tail race were later reconstructed, the wheel house demolished and the west wall of the mill building replaced and the interior partitioned. The number of hearths was reduced to one, which was relocated, and the building ceased to operate as a mill. A new, longer workshop was built to replace the previous one. The sequence is notable for the well-preserved timber remains of the mill races and the survival of some machinery, allowing a reconstruction of the mill workings. A reconstruction of the water supply is also possible. The hearths of the buildings and the find assemblage indicate that these were water-powered metalworking mills in which small items were made and repaired, probably for use in the precinct and on the granges of the monastery as well as for sale. The quality and range of evidence from excavated medieval smithies generally is reviewed. Includes French and German summaries. |
| Author: |
Grenville G Astill
|
| Editor: |
Grenville G Astill
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| Publisher: |
Council for British Archaeology
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| Year of Publication: |
1993
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| ISBN: |
1 872414 43 5 |
| Locations: |
| Location - Auto Detected: |
River Arrow |
|
| Subjects / Periods: |
| Twelfth Century (Auto Detected Temporal) |
| Early Fourteenth Century (Auto Detected Temporal) |
| Medieval (Auto Detected Temporal) |
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| Source: |
BIAB
(The British & Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB))
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| Relations: |
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| Created Date: |
20 Apr 2005 |
