Worcestershire Ceramics Online Database

The Worcestershire Ceramics Online Database has now (September 2017) been enhanced to include locally produced medieval form types, and fabric and form information for the most commonly identified post-medieval and modern fabrics, as well as concordance information for other type series in surrounding counties. In addition, a software upgrade means that data is more accessible and the site is now also optimised for use on mobile devices. To ensure that users get the most out of these improvement, it is recommended that the 'Help' pages are consulted before using the site for the first time.

This revision of the website has been made possible with financial support from Historic England and was carried out as part of the 'Improving Sector Reference Resources' initiative.

The database you see now was designed to make the complete pottery fabric and form type series for Worcestershire accessible on-line. It currently contains information on all the pottery fabrics used and made in Worcestershire from the Neolithic (c 4000 BC) to the early post-medieval period (c 1650 AD) and the most commonly identified fabrics of later post-medieval and modern date. For each type of pottery the ceramic database contains information on:

the types of clay used
what kind of pottery was made
where and how it was made
when it was made
where it has been found

Fabric data includes high definition photographs of sherd sections, as well as detailed written fabric descriptions to aid identification. In addition, there are bibliographic references for each fabric type and, for medieval and later fabrics, a concordance table which cross references to other fabric series for surrounding counties.

There is detailed form data, including illustrations, for all locally produced medieval wares, as well as the most commonly found post-medieval and modern ware types.

Sherd photographs and form illustrations are representative of each main fabric/form type. Variations and/or range of attributes (eg. colour) have been noted in the text.

Who is it for? The online database is aimed at ceramic specialists and students, but could be used by anyone interested in the study of pottery, as it includes simple as well as advanced search facilities. To help you get the most out of the site please make use of the Help menu on the top of every page. The Help pages are specific to each topic.

You can use this database on its own or in conjunction with data from the Historic Environment Record (find out more about this).