Arbor City Hotel

We had a steady stream of interested people at our pop-up display at Hampton by Hilton London City hotel, of finds recovered from excavations prior to its construction. The visitors were a range of mudlarks, professional archaeologists, university students, workmen at the hotel, hotel guests and staff, and many people stayed for 30 minutes to an hour!

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Finds on display included a 17th-18th century sugar cone mould, a tiny ‘false die’ with two 5s, medieval floor tiles and a ‘facon de Venise’ goblet featuring a lion’s mask. Click here to see more finds from this fascinating site.

Explore the archaeology of Whitechapel at our pop-up exhibition on Friday February 9th, from 11am to 4.30pm.

Join us at Hampton by Hilton London City Hotel to see a display of artefacts found during our excavations which took place as part of the hotel’s development.

Archaeology was discovered dating from the Roman period, when the site was located close to the main road to Colchester, through to the late 19th century. In particular the excavation recorded alleyways, houses, workshops and yards showing the development of this area during the Tudor period. The finds recovered included high status imported ceramics and artefacts associated local manufacturing notably glass-making, sugar production and bell founding.

Green glazed pottery is among the most important (and frequently encountered) finds from medieval/early post medieval sites in London. This is because detailed knowledge of variations in pottery over time make it an extremely valuable dating tool!

This beautiful example of a Surrey-Hampshire border whiteware dish is no. 14 in our ‘find of the week’ series from McAleer & Rushe’s site at Arbor City Hotel. Our specialist has dated it to the late 16th-century based on the mottled glaze and the thickening on the underside of the flat rim. 

The post-medieval Surrey-Hampshire border-ware industry developed from the medieval Surrey whiteware potting tradition. During these periods there were potteries making such wares at several locations on the borders of both counties. Both red- and whiteware were made in the post-medieval period, with finer wares produced before c. 1550 and sandier wares after that date. Whiteware continued to be made up to c. 1700, with chamber pots and a few other forms still in production for 50 more years, while redware continued to be manufactured into the early 20th century. 

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No. 6 in our ‘Find of the Week’ series from McAleer & Rushe’s site at Arbor City Hotel, London Aldgate, is a rare example of the apex of a crested tile from the front of a 16th to early 17th century tiled stove, a high-status heating construction showing continental fashion.

This late medieval chain is No. 5 in our ‘Find of the Week’ series from McAleer & Rushe’s site at Arbor City Hotel, London Aldgate. It’s probably a dress fitting, possibly used for securing a personal identification seal.

We’re digging deeper and delving further into Whitechapel’s past at McAleer & Rushe’s site at the Arbor City Hotel in London Aldgate!