Back to the Gasworks today for another tilt at the area I've been digging the past few weeks. I'm slowly starting to move away from the spot where the slope is at its steepest and towards slightly more level ground which will make digging easier and safer. A couple of years ago, not too far from this spot, we dug about half a dozen hot water bottles, all printed "Astons Ltd/House Furnishers/Carnarvon." Before these came to light none had ever been seen previously. Anyway, a few weeks ago another broken example came up quite nearby.
First find to appear in the ash today was this:
Would it be an Astons, and would it be complete? Careful digging soon had it exposed:
Drat!! The other half appeared soon after not too far away. At least it was plain. Not much else came to light until going home time was fast approaching. Then this. Is it a codd?:
No. it turned out to be a 10oz. crown lip cylinder, "THOMAS & EDWARDS/CARNARVON." There are a few of these about, but sadly they have no castle trade mark like most of the firm's bottles. This one was a machine made example and would have been one of the last bottles produced for T & E before they changed their name to The Castle Mineral Water Works. Not too long after another one came out, but this time an earlier, applied crown lip version. This one is unusual as it has the name of the bottle makers underneath, a name I've never seen before: "R. T. EARL/BIRMINGHAM."
Today's take-homes:
A closer view of the two T & E cylinders:
Today's hole is on the right. The capping and the top soil pushed over it can be clearly seen:
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