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Hemyock Castle
Ancient Heart of the Blackdowns

Deep Historic Links with Continental Europe

These webpages use pottery sherds (fragments) & objects found at Hemyock Castle, to explore centuries of close links with continental Europe: Links to other webpages in this series.

14th, 15th & 16th Centuries: French Jug, and Merida Type Pottery from Portugal

These sherds from imported pottery have been discovered at Hemyock Castle, in addition to many sherds from English pottery.

Photo: Sherd of Jug from South-West France
14th or 15th Century Jug Sherd from South-West France

This late medieval jug was manufactured in south west France between approximately 1300 & 1500 AD. It was probably imported and sold by wine traders.

Photo: Sherds of Merida Type Pottery
16th Century Merida Type Pottery from Portugal

During the 16th Century, a wide range of Merida type pottery with its distinctive mica particles, was imported into England's South West. Recently, a large cache has also been discovered near Southampton's port. These particular examples are thought to have come from near Lisbon in Portugal.

As well as tableware, different types of containers were manufactured by Merida type potteries. Some of these were used as containers for importing fluids, including for importing cloth dyes from continental Europe, possibly also for the West Country's cloth trade. Some small examples containing medical remedies, were found in a medicine chest in the wreck of the Mary Rose, the Tudor warship which sank near Portsmouth during a French naval raid in 1545.

Other webpages in this series, exploring centuries of close links with continental Europe:

European Year of Cultural Heritage – UK is the UK's part of The European Year of Cultural Heritage, a new European initiative.

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Hemyock Castle is a privately owned, scheduled ancient monument;
Normally only open for public tours on Bank Holiday Mondays
(2 to 5 pm) between Easter and September.

To contact us: Click here

Hemyock Castle, Hemyock, CULLOMPTON, Devon, EX15 3RJ, UK.
© 2001–2021. Prepared and published by Curlew Communications Ltd