News & Updates

An amazing September!

Friday 11 October 2024
The Firing London's Imagination project had a remarkable September!
On 1st September, Highgate Wood Community Day: 
  • Hugh Dennis, our patron, ceremonially opened the exhibition of the 2nd Century CE Roman pottery kiln in the log cabin Visitor Centre in Highgate Wood  
  • Graham Taylor from Potted History and enthusiastic volunteers fired 337 pots successfully in the replica Roman kiln they had built near the Visitor Centre
On 21st September: 
  • with Graham Taylor's long range guidance, Shem Morgan of Turning Earth Highgate and a team of volunteers fired the replica kiln, once again with over 300 pots in it. They took the temperature to 1000 degrees centigrade before closing the fire off.  Care of the cooling kiln only stopped at midnight when a rainstorm made it impossible to continue.
Contacts and commitments
  • Thanks to TV and other media interest, new audiences from across London, the UK and abroad learned of the initiative. Hundreds visited the site during the firings and many have signed up to continuing engagement with the project.
A very big thank you to:
  • our partners from the City of London and Bruce Castle Museum for doing so much in front of and behind the scenes
  • the many volunteers who spent hours potting, running stalls, managing children's pottery sessions, helping with activities and walks and collecting data for the monitoring of events
  • Sally Bailey of Sally's Adventure Club who ran a special children's Roman walk at no charge on the Community Day 
  • Hugh Dennis for opening the kiln exhibition, bringing in the media and enthusing them 
  • Shem and the volunteers who helped with the first and second firings of the replica kiln. Cooking pottery in a large clay and mud wood-fired kiln is fun but also hard, hot work as the high temperatures must be sustained for hours.

3D 3D 3D

  • Andy Woodhead, who makes 3D images for the Time Team, visited the second kiln firing between 21st and 24th September.  He created a fine series of images and has generously sent them to us to play with!   3Dfiring! 
Visiting the Roman pottery kiln
You can visit the Roman kiln during the hours that Highgate Wood is open to the public. In 2025 the Visitor Centre will be rebuilt to allow all-round views of the kiln, full accessibility and a re-developed permanent exhibition. 

  


A great day for Highgate Roman kilns!!!

Friday 13 September 2024

It was great to see so many people on 1st September, Highgate Wood Heritage Day, to celebrate and enjoy:

-the return of Highgate Roman pottery kiln, now back after restoration by Ned Scharer and his team at the Natural Building Centre in Conwy, Wales, on exhibition  for all to see in Highgate Wood, after many years in store and in pieces

-the firing, led by Graham Taylor of Potted History, Northumberland, of the replica kiln in the Wood to demonstrate how the

Roman-era potters made their pots.  Our patron, Hugh Dennis, opened the exhibition.

Please join us at the next kiln firing – 8am to 8pm on Saturday 21st September.

Andrew Woodhead, who makes 3D images for the Time Team, visited the replica kiln in Highgate Wood last week.

He made a 3D image of it and has kindly allowed us to share it!  Many thanks Andrew!


Replica Roman Kiln Opening 10AM Tomorrow Highgate Wood

Monday 2 September 2024

10am Tomorrow Tuesday 3rd September 

Opening of the replica Roman kiln on the Sports Ground, Highgate Wood, Muswell Hill Road, N10 3JN

Please join us to see the pots emerge!


Two Roman kilns in Highgate Wood!

Thursday 29 August 2024

  • Last week Graham Taylor of Potted History and enthusiastic volunteers built  a splendid replica Roman-era kiln in the Wood. It will be fired on Sunday, 1st September. 
  • This Tuesday, Ned Scharer and colleagues from the Natural Building Centre in Wales arrived with the Highgate Roman Kiln conserved and re-assembled on 7 neat wheeled platforms.
  • They wheeled the platforms into the  Visitor Centre log cabin and bolted them together.
  •  We now have a second century CE excavated  Roman kiln in one piece in Highgate Wood ready for viewing.
Please join us in the Wood on Sunday next, 1st September, 2024!
 
Timetable for  kiln-related events 
(There are lots more events, including the Dog Show, as part of the Heritage Day)
0800 Firing the replica kiln begins (we'll be firing it again on the 21st September)
1100 Opening of the Highgate Wood Heritage Day. The FOHRK stall will offer Roman pottery-making for children of all ages
Brief ceremony to celebrate the return of the Highgate Roman Kiln, with Hugh Dennis and colleagues from the Firing London's Imagination partnership
1215 Guided walk and talk with Nick Peacey
1330 Children's Roman Wood walk with Sally Bailey (booking essential: sign up at sallysadventureclub@gmail.com) or contact Michaela Wright of City of London on the day
1430 Guided walk and talk with Nick Peacey
1500 Highgate Wood Heritage Day ends
Kiln firing will continue until late.
All walks are free of charge (£5 donation per person greatly appreciated)  
We meet near the log cabin Visitor Centre.
We greatly look forward to welcoming you and thank you warmly for all your wonderful
support.
Nick
Nick Peacey
Secretary, Friends of Highgate Roman Kiln (FOHRK)
PS Volunteering possibility?  Our funders, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, like us to keep a 
record of the numbers of people who attend these events. If you could spare a couple
of hours on Sunday to help us with this task we would be both grateful and give you a £10
voucher to spend at the Pavilion Cafe in the Wood. Please let me know if you interested.


 


Guided Walk in the Wood 22nd July 2023

Wednesday 2 August 2023

We were delighted to welcome 30 walkers to the Wood on the morning of Saturday

22nd July and even more delighted when the weather stayed kind

for our visit to the Roman kiln site. Jacquie Richardson who lives locally was

among the walkers and remembered visiting the excavations. Nick Peacey, who led the walk, contacted Jacquie later to

ask for any recollections.

She wrote, 'Dear Nick, I hugely enjoyed your fascinating talk yesterday. 

We used to visit the dig fairly regularly from 1972 onwards. 

On one occasion Spike Milligan was one of the spectators. He didn’t speak to anyone just quietly observed the proceedings. 

I love Highgate Woods and am looking forward to the next phase of the kiln project. Kind regards, Jacquie Richardson.'

Thank you Jacquie for the kind words and for the image of a silent observing Spike....   


11am Saturday 22nd July: Roman kiln guided walk

Thursday 13 July 2023

We have had to postpone our Roman Kiln guided walk planned for this Saturday 15th

in Highgate Wood.

The Woodkeepers have advised  that high winds are likely

to mean the Wood will have to be  closed for the whole day. 

The new date: Saturday 22nd July.

Nick Peacey, our Secretary will lead the walk which will last an hour.

We will meet by the Information Hut at 11am.

We hope you can  join us.

Please email Nick at friendsofhighgateromankiln@gmail.com to reserve a place.

The walk is free but a £5 donation in cash or to our JustGiving account would be much appreciated.


'Roman' kiln firing at Vindolanda 20.5.23

Monday 10 July 2023
Graham and Sarah of Potted History with the klin firing team at Vindolanda
Graham and Sarah of Potted History with the team at Vindolanda

Graham Taylor and Sarah, his daughter, who will soon take over their firm, Potted History, have for some years been

responsible for the upkeep and regular firing of a replica Roman kiln that they built at the wonderful site of Vindolanda, by Hadrians Wall.

The kiln is smaller but otherwise very similar to the Highgate Roman Kiln.

Nick Peacey, our Secretary, was fortunate to observe this year's first firing. 

He learned how Graham and Sarah heat the kiln slowly to begin with to minimise damage to the pots inside. Then, once 250 degrees C has been achieved, they provide a steady supply of fuel with careful stoking that brings the kiln to a temperature of 1000 degrees C.

We are most grateful to Graham and Sarah for their generosity with their time and advice and to everyone there for the excellent company.


Guided walk in the Wood: 11am 22nd July 2023

Sunday 26 March 2023

Nick Peacey, Secretary of FOHRK, will be leading a walk to the Roman pottery manufacturing site in Highgate Wood  at 11am on Saturday 22nd July 2023. This walk has had to be postponed from 15th July.

We shall meet at the Information Hut near the cafe.

We will:
- discuss  recent thinking about the Roman pottery manufacturing site in the Wood
- look at some of the finds, including the section of Roman kiln displayed in the Hut
- go up the hill at the north of the Wood to visit the site
- hear more about the excavations and the way in which experimenters have made and fired reconstructions of the kilns
- discuss plans for Firing London's Imagination, our community heritage and learning programme for returning the Highgate kiln to the Wood

The walk will take about an hour. The walk is free, but donations of £5 pp in cash or to our Just Giving account would be appreciated.

Please email friendsofhighgateromankiln@gmail.com if you plan to come.


National Lottery Heritage Funds to Bring the Kiln Home

Friday 24 February 2023

Great news for all supporters of the Highgate Roman Kiln campaign! Thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, we are now able to implement our plans for bringing the Roman kiln back to Highgate Wood, along with offering a community learning programme and the appointment of a dedicated Engagement Officer.

We will now work with Bruce Castle Museum and the City Corporation to conserve the kiln, restore it to public view, and allow everyone to learn about an important aspect of London’s Roman heritage. Before the kiln is on display, Londoners of all ages will be able to take part in community and educational activities, including a visiting schools programme, Roman kiln reconstruction and firing, and the creation of a community mosaic in the Wood.

Commenting on the award, FoHRK Chair Catherine West MP said: “This is fantastic news and a huge step forward in bringing this precious Roman kiln back to Highgate Wood where it belongs.  I want it to be on display in the Wood, inspiring community learning, crafts and heritage. Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund this dream can become a reality”  

FOHRK’s patron, Hugh Dennis said, “This is excellent news. Nearly 2000 years ago the Highgate Roman kiln was used by a thriving community of potters to serve the needs of London. Now, thanks to the support and efforts of a thriving modern community it is coming back to Highgate Wood!”

A huge thank you to all our supporters, and watch this space for more exciting information!


The Highgate Kilns: Talk by Harvey Sheldon to LAMAS

Tuesday 24 January 2023

With kind permission, we can share the recording of Harvey Sheldon giving a talk to the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society about the finds in Highgate Wood. 

View the video here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6E1ViTi8xs