News & Updates
September '25 kiln firing
On 13th September 2025, Highgate Woods hosted a firing of a replica Roman kiln, part of the Roman Kiln Replica Firing event organised by the Firing London’s Imagination project collaboration with Turning Earth Studios. The kiln was lit at 7.30 am, and it burned through the day until about 9 pm, with the public looking on throughout the day. The team of volunteer stokers carefully guided the kiln to a temperature of over 1000 degrees centigrade, and as a beautiful flame flared out the back vent and the oxygen meter read 900, hopes were high for a full reduction so prized by the Roman potters.
The pots inside had been formed earlier by volunteers in workshops using local wild clay and Romanâ€style forms drawn from archaeological finds in the woods and further afield. Also in the belly of the kiln were votive animals made by members of the public at the Highgate Wood Community Heritage Day a week previously. This livingâ€history experiment aimed to revive ancient techniques and connect modern makers and community members with Highgate’s Roman pottery heritage.
Due to poor weather conditions, the team of volunteers had to wait until the 22nd September to unload the kiln. The sun shone down as the contents of the kiln were revealed, showing the finish of full reduction and the signature sparkle of the mica in the Highgate clay. A resounding success was declared as potters and public gathered to see the output of months of hard work.
Oxford Kiln Colloquium
On September 4th-5th, the Firing London’s Imagination project was hosted by the Oxford University Classics Outreach Department for a two-day colloquium to discuss all things ceramic- and ancient history-related.
Firing London’s Imagination is a three-year project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to restore the 2nd Century CE Romano-British kiln first discovered in 1968 to Highgate Wood in its own, dedicated visitor centre. The project also aims to engage local London communities in discovering and exploring the rich Roman heritage of the city.
This event brought together practitioners and academics from a diverse range of fields - from archaeology to kiln firing and public outreach - to facilitate academic and practical knowledge exchange. Additionally, an outreach event for local school children took place, introducing ninety primary school students to Roman archaeology – and then showing them how to make their own Roman-style pot.
As well as a series of lectures focusing on archaeology, material culture, ceramic science and public engagement, attendees were treated to two artefact sessions, firstly in the Beazley Archive and secondly at the Ashmolean Museum. These sessions sparked an interesting interchange between academics and craft practitioners. As Shem Morgan, ceramicist and lead on the Highgate Wood replica kiln firing commented, “It was truly invaluable to the project at hand and raised some interesting and new angles I hadn’t considered related before. It was particularly interesting seeing the Greek sherds and having such a range of experts to hand to bounce ideas and insights off of.”
The cross-disciplinary approach of the colloquium was highly successful. As Grahm Taylor of Potted History commented, “I truly believe that it's when archaeologists, curators, finds specialists, facilitators and practitioners come together that the magic happens, and it certainly happened at this colloquium.”
Highgate Wood Community Heritage Day
Once again, the Firing London’s Imagination team and Turning Earth volunteers spread the love clay and local history by manning a pavilion at the Highgate Wood’s annual Community Heritage Day on the 7th September 2025. As well as information and walks, hands-on activities such as Roman pot making, votive shaping and the creation of animals from woodland clay were offered to members of the public of all ages.
The first FOHRK guided walk of 2025
4th May 2025 The Roman Kilns of Highgate Wood
On 4th May 31 people joined Nick Peacey, Secretary of FOHRK, in a guided walk to hear the latest thinking on the Roman-era potters who worked and fired the clay of Highgate Wood. They saw the 2nd Century CE Roman kiln (Kiln 2) on show in the Wood (probably the only Roman pottery kiln on display in England), visited the full-size replica kiln which has survived the winter and will be fired again this September and explored the site where the potters built and fired a series of kilns for over 100 years or so. Andy Woodhead, 3D image specialist, shared an Augmented Reality demonstration that brought Kiln 2 kiln back to life in the place where it was found.
The Trustees of FOHRK are most grateful to the participants who, after the walk, generously donated a total of £150 to our Crowdfunding programme. https://www.justgiving.com/
An amazing September!
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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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!
A great day for Highgate Roman kilns!!!
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
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!
- 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.
Guided Walk in the Wood 22nd July 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
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.