English: Incomplete cast lead or lead alloy pilgrims ampulla dating from the medieval period; late 13th - late 15th century (1250-1500). The pilgrims’ ampulla is broadly sub-rectangular in plan and profile. The lower part has a rounded convex base that tapers slightly to form a waste at the mid point. This then flares outwards towards the upper edge which has been damaged. Where the ampulla sides flare there are two broken stumps (one on either side) where small integral cast loops would have fitted. The lower half of the ampulla has been slightly flattened whilst the upper has been opened out slightly with the upper edge being torn and damaged. The ampulla measures, 50.4mm in length (from the upper edge to the apex of the base), 31.8mm maximum width (across the base of the ampulla), and is 13.4mm thick (at the base). The ampulla weighs 69.66 grams.

The front and rear face of the ampulla are decorated with cast motifs. These designs have been badly abraded and are indistinct – especially the one on the rear which has been almost entirely lost. On the lower part of the front face of the ampulla is a cast shell formed from high relief ribs. This terminates at the mid point of the ampulla. A design on the upper part of the front face is contained within a border formed from small raised pellets. The design itself is lost. It is possible that the design on the rear face is that of a scaled jumping fish but the damage present is too extensive to be sure.

The ampulla is a mid grey white colour with an uneven patina that covers the majority of surfaces. This patina has been abraded in several areas revealing a mid grey metal beneath. There are several areas of damage present; the most significant of these is the feathering of the upper edge of the flask. These areas of damage are consistent with abrasion occurring in the plough zone of a field. Ampullae were used to contain holy water, as a souvenir of a pilgrimage; they date to the 13th to 15th centuries. It has been suggested that many of these are found unconnected with religious sites (specifically in East Anglia) and it is thought that they could have been used and discarded in a religious ceremony to bless the fields. Not enough ampullae have been recorded in the West to say if a similar tradition is prevalent here. The shell design present on this example is often linked with the cult of St James.