A team of archaeologists is hoping to fire up public interest in Rutherglen’s industrial past at a special open day. The event, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday (8 and 9 December) at the former Caledonian Pottery on Farmeloan Road, will provide a fascinating insight into workings of the factory.
By building a picture of what life was like for local workers, the archaeologists aim to keep future generations in touch with the past.
Throughout the weekend, visitors to the site can take part in guided tours and will even have an opportunity to help build an experimental Clamp Kiln made from wood and turf. Then, on Sunday, members of the public can watch as wares made by the local community in pottery workshops are fired.
Caledonian Potteries was one of three big industrial potteries in 19th century Glasgow and it relocated to Rutherglen in the 1870s. Visitors will be able to see for themselves how the excavation of the pottery buildings has revealed intricately built kiln bases.
The kilns sit in two parallel groups running from north to south, joined together by underground hot air flues. The team has also found what may be "puddling" tanks for the preparation of the clay.
The pottery closed in 1930, and the site was taken over by steelworks before being closed and the site abandoned in the early 1960’s.
Alasdair Graham, Transport Scotland’s M74 Project Manager said:
"This is an exciting opportunity to see just how a kiln would have been built and operated and will really put the public in touch with the past.
"M74 Completion will bring many benefits to the West of Scotland and it is important that we take this opportunity to properly investigate the history of the land we will use. I would encourage everyone to visit the open day to learn about our past."
Dr Carol Swanson, Service Manager for the West of Scotland Archaeology Service (WoSAS) who is supervising the work on behalf of the M74 Completion project partners said:
"The Caledonian Pottery was on a grand industrial scale with 8 large kilns. The experimental kiln may be small by comparison, but the processes involved in making the pots are exactly the same and have been in use for thousands of years. The experimental kiln helps to show the way in which pots would have been made in the past, long before the era of the big industrial potteries."
The investigation work under the £4.9m archaeological contract, one of the largest archaeological contracts undertaken in the UK, is scheduled for completion in April 2008.
