Lid comes off tip's past: Collectors unearth a treasure trove of Victorian artefacts at dump site that was closed to them for 20 years
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.THEY style themselves as 'bottle collectors'. They feel it has a better ring than 'dump diggers', which is a more apt description. But then, this is not just any old dump.
The dozen-or-so men who have spent the past two months sifting the entrails of the site at Wroxall, on the Isle of Wight, have waited 20 years for the privilege.
The previous owner's unwillingness to have his meadow torn up had proved an insurmountable obstacle, but the new owner-landlord agreed in an effort to end the problem of the holes that appeared after less scrupulous collectors staged night-time raids.
The tip dates from the late Victorian period when the island was an popular holiday destination for the well-heeled. The result is a treasure trove of Victorian artefacts which, on the mainland, were often lost forever when barges carried away rubbish from the cities to be dumped in inaccessible spots.
But on the island this was impossible and the waste from eight or nine tightly grouped towns ended up at the site which is reckoned to be one of the largest excavations of its kind.
Most highly prized among items remaining after tips were torched to reduce the bulk are lids to the porcelain pots which contained everything from cherry toothpaste to anchovy paste in the days before tin cans.
But among collectors on the island the real quarry are those lids which bear the names of local towns. Toothpaste from the chemists in Ventnor has been of particular interest.
David Goodredge, one of the collectors, said that much of the material will feature in displays on the island, though historians also regard the dump as an important piece in the jigsaw of local social history.
(Photograph omitted)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments