Roman Leicester was home to a wide range of industries. Archaeology has uncovered evidence of the production of everyday goods, such as metalwork and pottery, as well as luxury Roman goods.
Coin making
In its earliest years, Roman Leicester had a thriving coin-making industry linked to its Celtic tribal past.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of coin-making workshops between Bath Lane and the River Soar. All that remains of these workshops are beaten clay floors and post holes, but among the finds uncovered on the site were fragments of various sizes of clay “flan trays” used as moulds for coin blanks that, once stamped, formed local currency.
The workshops date to the period of Leicester’s transition from a tribal centre to a Roman town that still used local Celtic currency. This industry probably died out when Leicester began to use Roman coins.
Metalworking
Other Iron Age industries continued after Leicester became fully romanised — often occupying the same locations as their Celtic predecessors. Metalworking was one; an essential industry in any town since it supplied everyday items such as knives and tools.
It seems that in Leicester, the Roman sites for ironworking were in the same place as their Iron Age counterparts. A series of yards and structures were uncovered along what was the Tripontium Road, identified as Roman industrial metalworking sites. Excavations have proven that the Roman yards’ alignments followed the same ones as their Iron Age predecessors.
Pottery
Pottery was another essential everyday commodity. As Leicester’s trade connections with the rest of Europe grew, the town imported more continental ware. By the second century AD, Gaulish, Mediterranean and Spanish pottery accounted for 30% of the city’s ceramics. But local Leicester-produced Greyware was still predominant. Numerous kilns have been found around the city, showing this was a commodity commonly manufactured in the town.
Quarrying
Other industries began to grow around Leicester to answer the town’s specific needs. A vital part of Leicester’s growth and romanisation was the building of monumental public buildings, which meant a ready source of stone was required. The countryside around Leicester was a rich source of granite and sandstone — perfect for constructing public and domestic buildings. Consequently, stone quarries were developed to meet the needs of Leicester and other settlements.
Glassblowing
But Leicester’s industries were not confined simply to the town’s everyday, practical needs. Small tile-lined glassblowing furnaces have been unearthed in the city, dating between the second and third century AD. This suggests that at the peak of its prosperity, Roman Leicester was not only importing glassware from the continent; it was also making its own.
Resources
Blank, E, 1970, A Guide to Leicestershire Archaeology. Leicester Museums
