18th-century glassworks uncovered at Whitehaven Aldi site

Excavators identified five furnaces, historic bottle glass, brick floors, a stone staircase and a 22-metre tunnel in the southern part of the development site.

A post-excavation report prepared by Archaeological Services Durham University said the surviving remains revealed at least three phases in the operation of the glassworks.

Burial beneath industrial residue and later ground-levelling material had preserved much of the structure, particularly its northern rooms.

Well-preserved brick floors and walls in the northern rooms of the 18th-century glassworks (Image: Archaeological Services Durham University)

Large quantities of bottle glass were recovered, including early-to-mid-18th-century forms and evidence of both free-blowing and mould-blowing techniques.

Documentary and map evidence showed that an 1815 plan of Whitehaven marked an 'Old Glass House' in the southern part of the site.

It appears to have stopped operating by 1819, when a fever hospital was established in its place.

However, the excavation has now revealed the physical layout of the works and details not shown on historic maps.

These included a tunnel running for 22 metres from the main glassworks building. Its sandstone walls were neatly faced internally, while part of its arched brick roof survived.

The report said: "The purpose of this structure is unknown, but it is likely that it was used to transport material in and out of the glassworks."

At 2.15 metres high, it was tall enough for a person to walk through.

Archaeologists also found evidence of the 19th-century Preston Street Pottery in the northern part of the site, including buildings, culverts, a cobbled path, a possible machine base and a clay pan.

A drone image showing the scale of the excavations (Image: Archaeological Services Durham University)

The pottery had been established by 1830. Parts of the site were later redeveloped as a stone yard and auction mart, while other uses over the years included a school, mission hall, builders' yards and a corporation yard.

Fieldwork was carried out between June and October 2025 in advance of the supermarket development.

The report described the discoveries as a 'significant archaeological resource' and recommended full analysis and publication of the results.

Westmorland and Furness Council's historic environment officer has confirmed that the post-excavation report meets one part of the archaeological conditions attached to the Aldi planning permission.

Further work must still be completed, including detailed analysis, publication of the excavation results and the eventual transfer of the archaeological archive to the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven.