I'm on holiday this week, so decided to have another bash at the Gasworks today. It was good digging weather, being dry with the occasional sunny spell, although it turned pretty cold by mid afternoon.
Started up a new hole right next to where I left off last time, but today the Gasworks reverted to type and was VERY sparse. To be honest it was probably a waste of time today, but at least it got me out of the house and into the fresh air. After cutting through the capping it was disappointing to find that the seam of ash was only about a foot deep, although there was slightly more depth right next to the wall, where the water collects. Very few bottles came out today, the only take home bits being two Lysol bottles: one a large size Boots All British, and the other the normal smaller size. The only other find of note was a broken Criccieth Cough Balsam that I have never seen before. Now, bottles from Criccieth are very rare, and I can only recall seeing two in all the years I have been collecting: a pair of 6oz. codds with a pictorial trade mark of Criccieth Castle. The bottle itself is a lovely blue/aqua colour, and is embossed "BOWEN'S/COUGH BALSAM/CRICCIETH N. WALES." Even though it is in bits it was taken home and will form part of my North Wales chemist bottles collection until such time that I can find a complete example. Joseph William Bowen was born in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, in 1849. His shop was at the Medical Hall, 54 High Street, which is still in existence today, and he was a Wine Merchant (& stationer) as well as a chemist.
Started up a new hole right next to where I left off last time, but today the Gasworks reverted to type and was VERY sparse. To be honest it was probably a waste of time today, but at least it got me out of the house and into the fresh air. After cutting through the capping it was disappointing to find that the seam of ash was only about a foot deep, although there was slightly more depth right next to the wall, where the water collects. Very few bottles came out today, the only take home bits being two Lysol bottles: one a large size Boots All British, and the other the normal smaller size. The only other find of note was a broken Criccieth Cough Balsam that I have never seen before. Now, bottles from Criccieth are very rare, and I can only recall seeing two in all the years I have been collecting: a pair of 6oz. codds with a pictorial trade mark of Criccieth Castle. The bottle itself is a lovely blue/aqua colour, and is embossed "BOWEN'S/COUGH BALSAM/CRICCIETH N. WALES." Even though it is in bits it was taken home and will form part of my North Wales chemist bottles collection until such time that I can find a complete example. Joseph William Bowen was born in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, in 1849. His shop was at the Medical Hall, 54 High Street, which is still in existence today, and he was a Wine Merchant (& stationer) as well as a chemist.
Today's hole. Most of the ash is a cave-in from loose surface material:
Small size Lysol:
Large size Lysol Boots All British:
General view of the day's dig:
So this is what they call "landscaping" eh?:
The heartbreaking broken Criccieth Cough Balsam:
Close-up of the embossing:
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