Yes the Romans had some very fine drinking glasses. In the middle of the first century, when the Romans came to Britain, glass was often very brightly coloured but during the next 50 years colourless glass became fashionable. These cups and beakers were often highly decorated, with wheel-cut and facet-cut decoration. Glass was mass-produced over the next 300 years and the repertoire always included drinking cups, although they were probably always more expensive than pottery.

Thank you very much for your comments — sorry for the long delay in replying - its all been pretty busy here and I have fallen behind with the blog. No, I have not given a talk in Finchley, although I am about to speak to a society in Hendon on this and other topics.

We have evidence for other glass-working sites in several places in Roman London, among them evidence for kilns (not reconstructable) in the area of modern Old Bailey, but as far as I know Brockley Hill produced only pottery. John and I are working on a booklet about the Basinghall Street site which will summarise the London evidence — to be published later this year.

There has been much work recently on the design of kilns and Roman glass-working techniques in general by the Roman glassmakers, Mark Taylor and David Hill http://www.romanglassmakers.co.uk/. They have a fascinating and very informative website, with pictures of their experimental furnaces. Well worth a look!

You don’t say which part of Wales you found this material, which sounds very interesting, but the best thing would probably be to take a sample to a local museum for identification. They would know more about the geology of the region and might be able to help you.

We have serached the internet and local history records of the area, but the only things that come up in this area is a few rural Roman sites some miles away and near the location acient lime kilns.

Would you have any clue what these lumps of glassy stones are?

We can send you a sample.

Debs

Do you know if there is any work on Roman kilns - locations, design, in the UK?
Around Edgware - a days journey from Westminster along Watling Street- there’s Brockley Hill which appears to have made enough pottery for distribution (finds) around the UK.
But there’s also something in Canons Park said to be Tile kilns.
The area became part of the estate of the Duke of Chandos, but I suspect a Roman Villa
may lie beneath the house - now a school. Ceramic tile rejects and shards have been found apparently, but no glass (so far).
Good luck with your breathtaking project

Can you tell me…

How does glass survive in the ground for so long without breaking?

How did they make the glass back then?

What sort of things did the romans use glass containers for? Wine?

Did the Romans use lots of glass?

Thanks!