Excavations reveal the remains of buried Jackfield villege homes after a landslide 60 years ago
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The small community of Jackfield in Shropshire was decimated by a monster landslide that engulfed 27 houses in thousands of tonnes of mud and soil in 1952.
Now, more than 60 years later, the remains of eight houses, presumed to be lost forever under layers of silt, have been discovered by engineers working on a crumbling river bank.
The properties were rediscovered during the excavation of the banks of the River Severn as part of a million-pound scheme to stabilise the area.
The small community of Jackfield in Shropshire was decimated by the monster landslide, which engulfed 27 houses in thousands of tonnes of mud and soil in 1952. Now, over 60 years later, the remains of eight houses have been found, including a pretty tile floor dating from the 19th century (pictured)
Workers at the site said they were amazed when they uncovered artefacts including an ornate Roman-style mosaic floor from a cottage, an intact bread oven and even an old kettle in the ruined houses.
In particular, the patterned floors and elaborately decorated Art Nouveau tiles are thought to date back to the Victorian era and may have been made between 1890 and 1910.
The deadly collapse of the village wreaked havoc in the close-knit community, which was dominated by its famous tile works.
The first signs of the impending disaster were when nearby railway lines began to buckle and bend under the weight of the moving earth in late 1951.
The first signs of the impending disaster were when nearby railway lines began to buckle and bend under the weight of the moving earth in late 1951. Soon afterwards, cracks began to appear in the walls of the village and within a few months 27 houses began sliding towards the River Severn. Rubble is pictured in 1951
The patterned floors and elaborately decorated Art Nouveau tiles (picutred) are thought to date back to the Victorian era and may have been made between 1890 and 1910. Archaeologist Shane Kelleher, from Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said the houses may have belonged to people who worked at the tile factory
Soon afterwards, cracks began to appear in the walls of the village and within a few months 27 houses began sliding towards the River Severn.
Jackfield was used as a river port for nearby Broseley and Benthall and a railway was built in the region in 1605.
It was renowned for its pottery and corn mills from the mid 17th century, which gradually expanded into the production of tiles in the early 19th century.
Archaeologist Shane Kelleher, from Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said he was amazed at how well preserved the remains were after such a long period of time.
'It is a very exciting find, we were expecting to maybe find a bit of rubble.
'We are surprised that is was so intact.
'It's a fascinating social history.
'It shows how tastes and styles have changed over the centuries.
'One of the things which strikes you is there are very many nice tiles, which suggests that the houses may have belonged to people who worked at the tile factory.
'Jackfield was once a world centre for high-quality tiles and the people who worked there would probably have been given the tiles as a bonus to supplement their wages or would have been allowed to buy them very cheaply.'
He believes the checkerboard-style floor discovered likely dates back to the late 19th century.
Jackfield in Shropshire (shown on the map) was known for its quality tiles. The tiles were used to decorade Edwardian tube stations, children's hospitals and homes
The properties were rediscovered during the excavation of the banks of the River Severn as part of a £17.6million scheme to stabilise the area (pictured)
Workers at the site were amazed when they uncovered artefacts including an ornate Roman-style mosaic floor from a cottage, an intact bread oven, and even an old kettle. The remains of a house is shown
'I would be pretty glad to have something like that in my house, so the people who lived here would probably have been very proud of it,' Mr Kelleher said.
'We found an old kettle, but there wasn't that much stuff left behind. The people living here had a few months to get their belongings.'
This explains why no bodies were expected to be found at the site.
Project manager Neal Rushton said that 2,000 steel piles were being driven into the banks of the Severn to prevent the collapse happening again and that where possible, the foundations of the buildings will preserved for future generations.
Work on the site began in October 2013 and it is expected to be completed by March 2016.
Mr Kelleher (pictured) explained why so many titles were discovered in the houses. 'Jackfield was once a world centre for high-quality tiles and the people who worked there would probably have been given the tiles as a bonus to supplement their wages or would have been allowed to buy them very cheaply,' he said
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