Medieval and Post-Medieval Occupation, Redcliffe, Bristol

Excavations at 1–2 and 3 Redcliff Street, Bristol, crossed a number of historic properties and revealed domestic and industrial remains dating from the establishment of the Redcliffe suburb in the 12th century through to the later Post-medieval period. Cloth-dying was the dominant industry in Redcliffe in the 12th and 13th centuries, and the well-preserved remains of dye-stuffs were recovered from waterlogged pit fills, together with leather shoes and off-cuts from a cobbler’s workshop. The pits also yielded the largest assemblage of pottery of its kind from the city to date. The presence of stone-built dye-vat hearths suggest that cloth dyeing continued into the 14th century, when a pair of substantial town houses was also built. Late 14th-century remains include a furnace for lead-bronze casting. In the 17th century, historic properties were amalgamated to establish a sugar refinery.