The project

Highgate Wood’s Roman pottery site is hugely significant. It is a rare Roman pottery factory from Greater London. It’s also an important part of Highgate Wood’s history and that of the Borough of Haringey, particularly as little other evidence for Haringey during the Roman Period has so far been found.

The Friends of Highgate Roman Kiln working with the City of London Corporation and Bruce Castle Museum, created the Firing London’s Imagination partnership, with the aim of celebrating and sharing this unique heritage with local residents and visitors to the area.

What is the project about?

Following the excavations of the Roman pottery kilns and other finds in the 1960s and 1970s, Kiln 2, a kiln found in remarkably good condition, was removed to be conserved and exhibited. It was on display at Bruce Castle Museum in the 1980s and 1990s. But from the late 1990s, it was in storage, disassembled, with only two small sections on public display.

Local people who remember the kiln excavations (and those that worked on them) formed The Friends of Highgate Roman Kiln (FoHRK), a registered charity, to work with partners on this exciting project to conserve and reassemble Kiln 2 and bring it back to the Wood where it was made and used. It is now displayed in a Visitor Centre in the Wood, along with a temporary exhibition that tells its fascinating story and that of the pottery manufacturing site.

We are delighted that people can see how amazing this ancient history is by:

• showing the kiln conserved and reassembled in its original home in Highgate Wood
• demonstrating how a Roman pottery kiln would have looked and worked by building and firing a full-scale replica kiln in Highgate Wood
• working with local community groups and organisations to encourage a range of volunteering opportunities that are fully accessible and welcoming.
• providing a diverse range of activities in the wood, and at other local venues including hands on pottery activities and talks and tours
• working with local schools and colleges to create engaging and exciting learning resources on across the curriculum. See our Learning Page.
• working with local youth to create a range of placements to help them gain practical and transferable skills for future employment

The next stage of the Firing London’s Imagination programme will see the log cabin Visitor Centre rebuilt and expanded to allow all round viewing, full accessibility and the provision of an enhanced permanent exhibition.

What type of activities do you organise?

We provide a wide range of activities in Highgate Wood and at other venues around the Haringey Borough and beyond. These include:

• Hands-on pottery/art workshops and courses
• Walking tours and talks
• Replica kiln firings
• Experimental archaeology
• Programmes for schools and young people

We are determined that our activities will be accessible to, and engaging for, the widest possible range of people. We regularly consult with local community organisations, including disability groups, groups less likely to engage with heritage and those for whom travel to the wood and other venues can present concerns. We are always keen to talk to more groups so please get in touch if you would like to find out more.

How much does it cost and who is paying for this?

Local people crowdfunded £20,000 for the startup of the project. The funding allowed the Firing London Imagination’s partnership to support a working group that applied for and was awarded £243,500 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for a three year programme that included conservation and reassembly of the kiln, new displays around the kiln and the appointment of a heritage education officer to co-ordinate the community education and learning side of the project, including work with schools and colleges, voluntary bodies and training and other opportunities for volunteers.