Back to the digging

[staters quo]

I've returned to some bottle digging now the weather's cooled down and the insects have gone on holiday. Heaven knows what they're eating now my legs aren't available.

It's been the usual slow but steady discovery of a few interesting bits in among the regular sauces and penny inks. I've been out a few times now, to a couple of different places, occasionally finding something worthwhile. I usually dig for a solid seven hours which in the winter is all the available daylight. I do use a headtorch when I'm right down in the depths though.

As usual it always begins with an hour of bramble cutting, followed by basic hard graft to get down to the level where I'll find bottles...



Falling in not advised

You have to swap from a spade to a fork once you get to about three feet down; it goes in with far less pressure than a spade and saves a lot of annoying breakages. The hole will end up around six feet deep and seven or eight feet square - and it all gets backfilled.



The decent stuff is always lurking right at the bottom, it seems...





Nice example fresh out of it's hundred-plus year nest...



I found the top of the pot below on the Friday and nearly didn't keep it, but I'm glad I did because when I extended the hole slightly the following Saturday the complete pot came out, nice Boots Confection of Senna. Dosage: one teaspoon or as much as you like! That really is what it says.



Nice cone ink



Clay pipe bowl, says Inniskillings Egypt or something similar, I believe it's regimental...



The results of a few trips out - I keep only a tiny amount of what I dig, mainly because it would be easy to end up with a house resembling a junk shop...



At the bottom there's a large Boots Cash Chemist, a large Owbridge's Lung Tonic and a Chivers & Sons Histon Cambridge Lemonade (a powder to add to water). Woodwards of Nottingham top left, Stroud, London and Tewkesbury beers and a Weston ginger beer.


The antique Dutch haberdashery drawers hold some of my non-metal finds:





The Bishop's Varalettes on the far left could cure gout, rheumatism and eczema, among other things.



I'm currently letting my elbows and shoulders recover - that amount of digging on a regular basis isn't too good for your joints. This time of year the ground is wet, which means it's really heavy to lift the spoil, and it tends to stick to your spade. But as I've said before I'd rather do this than go to a gym. I might consider a gym full of brambles and nice bottles however.

Cheers SQ

[Dave The Slave]

Really enjoyed reading this post.
Great write up, with great photos of some great finds.
Cheers,
Dave.

[Stubble trouble]

A lot more rewarding than going to a gym,you must have some stamina for 7 hours on and off digging though,I’m afraid my glass back wouldn’t cut it.You’ve some handsome rewards for your efforts though,I love to see the many types of old bottles etc,so much character.Happy hunting.

[Keef the Frog]

Good stuff !

[stupot]

Lovely cone ink!

[staters quo]

Lovely cone ink!

Yes I was quite happy with it - the usual deal on these old dumps is that I get lots and lots of the same thing, and in the case of inks it's usually the octagonal sheartop glass ones. Earlier this year i had ten of them and two pork pies from one hole.

[fred]

Great story.

[Wychwood]

Well done! A really interesting account and I must say a very neatly dug hole. Back breaking or what.

I now know what those cone bottles held and have several somewhere in the house.

Wychwood

[Count de Washers]

Nice digging there, and you certainly deserve all your finds for the effort you're putting in.

[AlcaLloyd]

Love this post - thank you for sharing. Some crackers in there and great variety too.
With those digging skills I know just who to call when I find that Viking rönd.

I haven't dug for bottles in yonks, but it's always had an attraction. I still remember the disappointment of finding a whole Champions vinegar bottle...only for the top section to drop off on lifting

Here's a piccy of my favourite bottle:

My wife thinks digging for them is a load of codds wallop. I'll get me coat

[staters quo]

That's a really nice codd, love the heavy embossing

[Pat newish]

Looks lovely mate,,, all the dumps nr me are dug already. One day I'll find my own

[sweepstick47]

That very nice clay pipe bowl is possibly linked to a proud soldier of (one of the two)!
27th (inneskillen) Regiments of foot 27th Inniskillen Regt of Foot 1689 - 1881 (can't nail which soldier unfortunately)
Cheers Eric

[Charliechap]

I’ve a construction business, if you ever need a job

[Red Fred]

I’ve a construction business, if you ever need a job

I was just thinking we've got a sheep shed needs cleaning out, and there's a rumour there's some green Codds buried under there!
I always think a nice quiet bottle dump is one of life's greatest secret pleasures. I found one at the bottom of the garden when I was digging in a gate post. Along comes my sis and her hubby with the usual "Whatever are you doing down there now?", but within about 5 minutes, they were both in the hole like excited kids.