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Canterbury, plus one from a mixed third- to fourth-century deposit. Much
Hadham oxidised wares do occur in east Kent (4.V.1), but are less common
than in the north-west of the county, where grey wares of this source may
have been little-used (4.V.2). It follows, therefore, that the latter would
have been still rarer in east Kent. The proportional representation of
reduced sand-tempered unslipped wheel-thrown wares is lower in mid
fourth-century assemblages from Canterbury than in those of the early part
of the century, comprising around 10 per cent— 20 per cent of all wares.
The mid- to late fourth-century group from Wye has also given a figure
within this range. It is impossible on present evidence to say whether a
gradual decline in production, or a relatively abrupt termination of the
activity of most potters working in this medium, occurred. However, by the
end of the fourth century virtually no pottery in these wares appears to
have been used: from Canterbury figures of only 5 per cent of a late
fourth-century group, and 3 per cent of an early fifth-century group have
been recorded (proportions of total assemblages; coarse ware proportions are
7 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively) (Pollard forthcoming, d).
One probable kiln producing grey wares has been excavated in
east Kent on a rural site, at Preston-near-
Wingham (Dowker 1878; 1893). The pottery found in this feature is described
as of ‘coarse blue ware. . .partially burnt. . .of a red colour’ (Dowker
1878, 47), two vessels being illustrated by the excavator. One of these has
been traced by the present author (Maidstone Museum registered as 5.PW.3),
and is in a fine sandy grey ware with white slip, practically identical to
Alice Holt ware. The form is similar to Alice Holt products (Lyne and
Jefferies 1979, Class 3B.12), and the kiln structure — apparently a double
flue type is paralleled at Alice Holt, Farnham and Tilford (ibid., 1),
all sites of the Alice Holt industry, and at Arlington in East Sussex
(Holden 1979). Sandy wares in ‘Alice Holt’ forms, but of a somewhat
coarser fabric and darker
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colour, have been recorded at Richborough (e.g. Bushe-Fox 1932, nos. 329 and
345, from Pit 37) and with considerable frequency at Canterbury
(Pollard forthcoming, d) (see also the following section). The total of this
grey ware variant in the fourth-century assemblages studied from the latter
site is very close to that of Alice Holt pale grey fine sandy ware, and
there is no clear chronological differentiation in intensity of usage of ‘Alice
Holt type’ ware and Alice Holt grey ware. A neutral grey, black or white
slip has been identified on both wares, and the formal ranges are similar.
‘Alice Holt types’ have been defined as occurring in forms known from
Alice Holt, but only part of that range is at all common in east Kent, and
it is this part that’ the former ware mostly reflects. Bead-and-flange
dishes (Lyne and Jefferies 1979, Class 5B.8) are predominant, comprising
some two-thirds of Alice Holt and one-half of ‘Alice Holt type’ ware in
the Canterbury sample. Other forms common to both wares include the
pointed-rim straight-sided dog-dish (ibid., Class 6A. 12,
undecorated) and the cavetto-rim elliptical or globular jar (ibid., Class
3B.11—14). The latter has also been recognised at Richborough (see above)
and Ospringe (Whiting et a!. 1931, no. 499), as well as in the
Preston kiln. The bead-and-flange dish variants (Lyne and Jefferies 1979,
Classes 5B.5 and 6C.1) have been recorded in ‘Alice Holt type’ ware, but
not Alice Holt ware, at Canterbury (Pollard forthcoming, d). The
angular-flanged ‘5B.8’ is one of the most frequently-encountered Alice
Holt ware forms throughout east Kent, sharing this distinction with the late
flagons with bead or ‘ring-neck’ rim (Lyne and Jefferies 1979, Class
8.10—14). Storage jars (ibid., Classes 1A.16—20, 1B.3—4, 1C.3—6,
4.42—45), incurved rim dog-dishes (ibid., Class 6A.9), and
horizontal- or depressed-flange-rim necked jars (ibid., Class 1.32—35)
appear to have had a more restricted distribution (cf. Lyne and Jefferies
1979; Pollard forthcoming, a, d. Fig. 38 illustrates the overall
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