Quarry tip bottle dig

[Kenleyboy]

Finally a break in the weather after a week of downpours but at least the fields are getting a good soaking but this was not going to be a metal detecting day . I have a few more weeks left for that but it had been far too long since I had the chance to get out and have a dig for bottles and I was keen to get back and check out the little quarry tip which showed some promise and it was at least a month since I last took a trip out .
An early start and for a change it was nice to see the sun shining through broken cloud and it was going to be a warm one so I didnt want to be digging with the sun burning away .
It was good to be back , its a nice quiet spot and so much had changed over the past few weeks and now the trees and hedges were finally showing off their summer green which would give me some natural shade as the morning warmed up .
Although it is classed as a quarry it really is just a shallow dip no more than about 4 feet deep but the bank rises up and that is where the bottles are , hidden under a slope of grass , reed and some fresh sprouts of stinging nettles which is always a good sign .
There are plenty of bottles here and range from commercial to household and along the way a few surprises .To say it was rammed is an understatement with plenty of sauce and Bovril bottles , there were stacks and every shovel full brought with it bottles of all manner . I had also been asked to bring back any household bottles and as my car was parked nearby I was happy to oblige .

This was just some of the haul , not for me though but for a friend who sells them off his stall and it pays a few quid .
One of the most interesting bottles for me was the Hamilton or better known torpedo bottle . Its crude and pleasantly old and not one I have dug before and I was surprised that a bottle of this age was here in amongst later bottles , a pleasant enough surprise .

The next few hours proved an interesting array of bottles from ginger beers with the Dereham one being a total surprise , a local bottle and again one I have never dug before . A couple of interesting beers , once again the lighter amber version being quite rare .

The dig was going well and I had amassed quite a few but to be fair I will only keep a couple back for myself , the rest will go to my stallholder friend .

A keeper for me is the Cordial bottle , these are always nice and decorative with heavy embossed leaves adoring the glass and this was a fine looking example and again a first for me in this pattern .

I really enjoyed this dig , not too heavy going and in wonderful surroundings and I heard my first Cuckoo of the year .

[alloverover]

Enjoyrd that Kb Ive been watching a few bottledigging vids on youtube lately, I dont really watch any detecting vids, just mudlarking and bottledigging for some reason, strange when all I do is detect really.
Anyway, been thinking maybe I might try and find the dump from a big old house on a permission of mine, proper big house, any tips on locating it apart from looking for nettles, stomping on the ground and trying to push a rod into the ground or is that pretty much it ?

[Easylife]

A great selection of goodies there, no doubt may more to come.

[Ladybird66]

What a great collection of bottles you’ve got there Paul.

I really love the little brown one with the lattice pattern. Don’t tell me didn’t save it.

And really rubbing it in, you heard a Cuckoo I haven’t heard one for years. For some reason they don’t seem to like S/W Wales.
Actually I did hear one last year, or at least a recording of one. In the local paper I read that a group of keen bird watchers came up with the idea that if they went here, there and everywhere and played the recording if there was one in the area it would answer.
Think they were as successful with finding a Cuckoo as I was in finding the lost Crown Jewels

[Emily]

An amazing selection!! I wish I knew your friend. I’d absolutely love some to make candles with.

[Kenleyboy]

Enjoyrd that Kb Ive been watching a few bottledigging vids on youtube lately, I dont really watch any detecting vids, just mudlarking and bottledigging for some reason, strange when all I do is detect really.
Anyway, been thinking maybe I might try and find the dump from a big old house on a permission of mine, proper big house, any tips on locating it apart from looking for nettles, stomping on the ground and trying to push a rod into the ground or is that pretty much it ?

Just a bit of detective work required .
If it were me I would locate the back door of where the old kitchen was and stand outside and imagine your job was to wheel the rubbish away and get rid out of sight out of mind . Is there a wooded area nearby , always a good spot to dump rubbish , they werent fussy back then ! Any signs of what could be an old dried out pond , any ground that has dipped usually means its been dug , tipped and then soiled over and if its full of stinging nettles that would be a good spot for a test dig . Any signs of fragments of crockery or glass on the surface , then dig .
They tipped behind walls , down slopes and a lot is still on the surface only covered by leaf mulch .
Any ground leading away from the back of the house that appears to be well trodden where a well walked line has left an impression that its been used regularly could mean that is the route that takes you to the tip .
Big houses with large grounds tended to tip on their land in areas that were away from the house and even ponds were used to dumop bottles etc in . Have fun and give it a go . Be prepared to find plenty of plain boring wine and champagne bottles , they drank tons of the stuff .
If you get stuck send me a pm . happy to help

[Kenleyboy]

What a great collection of bottles you’ve got there Paul.

I really love the little brown one with the lattice pattern. Don’t tell me didn’t save it.

And really rubbing it in, you heard a Cuckoo I haven’t heard one for years. For some reason they don’t seem to like S/W Wales.
Actually I did hear one last year, or at least a recording of one. In the local paper I read that a group of keen bird watchers came up with the idea that if they went here, there and everywhere and played the recording if there was one in the area it would answer.
Think they were as successful with finding a Cuckoo as I was in finding the lost Crown Jewels

I took that lattice bottle home Little Poison bottle .
Only get the Cuckoo in certain areas , lovely to hear and not very often seen . I did see a white tailed sea Eagle a month or so back on my last bottle dig trip . Huge bird and a fleeting glimpse but enough to know exactly what it was as it had been reported locally .

[Ladybird66]

I saw one many years ago, when they were first trying to introduce it back.
Magnificent bird.

Wonder if they’ll ever get this far down the country

[Oxgirl]

Sounds like you had a lovely day out Paul. Loving the write up and very pleased you heard your first cuckoo of the year. Love their calls

Nice cordial bottle but the torpedo shaped one is a stunner. Love their shape along with the little brown bobbly ones. You must have loved the lower level of digging too. Enjoying the extraction rather than the back breaking digging out and returning all the soil at the end too!

[Blackadder43]

Sounds and looks like a great day there KB, and to have a couple of "first" dug bottles is always good

Love that torpedo bottle too

As some of you know i am a bit of a geek when i see something i know nothing about, so i googled the Hamilton bottle
Quite the story of putting pressure on the shop keepers to conform to science and manufacturing
http://www.futuremuseum.co.uk/collectio ... ottle.aspx

[Dave The Slave]

Great write up and photos, Paul.
Nice that you managed a couple of rarer items for yourself, one being the Amber version of a beer bottle.
Must be millions of bottles, jars, pots etc in thousands of different designs waiting to be unearthed.
Good also that you can keep your mate in stock for his stall.
Car boots have been missed over the past year, rarely go to one and hardly ever buy anything but it only needs one interesting or useful item to make it worth a visit.
Cheers,
Dave.

[alloverover]

Just a bit of detective work required .
If it were me I would locate the back door of where the old kitchen was and stand outside and imagine your job was to wheel the rubbish away and get rid out of sight out of mind . Is there a wooded area nearby , always a good spot to dump rubbish , they werent fussy back then ! Any signs of what could be an old dried out pond , any ground that has dipped usually means its been dug , tipped and then soiled over and if its full of stinging nettles that would be a good spot for a test dig . Any signs of fragments of crockery or glass on the surface , then dig .
They tipped behind walls , down slopes and a lot is still on the surface only covered by leaf mulch .
Any ground leading away from the back of the house that appears to be well trodden where a well walked line has left an impression that its been used regularly could mean that is the route that takes you to the tip .
Big houses with large grounds tended to tip on their land in areas that were away from the house and even ponds were used to dumop bottles etc in . Have fun and give it a go . Be prepared to find plenty of plain boring wine and champagne bottles , they drank tons of the stuff .
If you get stuck send me a pm . happy to help

Cheers for all that Kb, plenty to think about there. I will broach the subject next time I see the owner, could be something to do during the summer, thanks for taking the time mate, will contact you if I need to, thanks

[figgis]

Absolutely love that torpedo bottle

As for hearing the first cuckoo, I wonder if people still write to The Times about that? I recall getting the bins out when I spotted some movement at the bottom of a hedge and saw a flaming great cuckoo being fed by a tiny finch or tit (it was a small brown thing that wouldn't keep still long enough to be IDed) . A privilege to see