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Summary

Site of old clay pits. A flourishing business was built up here in the 17th century exporting tobacco pipe clay.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CLAY PIT (First mentioned, XVII - 1601 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Old Clay Pits marked.

Grant, A. + Jemmett, D., 1985, Pipes and Pipemaking in Barnstaple, Devon, 482-488 (Article in Serial). SDV354868.

The moor is often referred to as Greening's Clay Moor after the name of the family who developed a tobacco pipe clay works here in the 17th century and built up a flourishing trade shipping clay out of Bideford. The industry declined at the end of the 18th century; in 1822 it was reported that the clay pits at Peters Marland had not been worked for nearly 20 years which appears to fit with the decline in pipe making and also of Bideford as a port. The construction of the Rolle Canal improved matters and by 1829 if not before clay was again being shipped out by sea. A light railway was subsequently built right into the clay workings and by the late 19th century quantities of clay were being exported. Although the clay was now being put to many uses the North Devon Clay Company, who had succeeded the earlier owners, still advertised their produced as the 'best tobacco-pipe clay'.
The traditional method of extracting tobacco-pipe clay was to lift it out in 9 inch cubes; after removing the top soil the clay was long-scored and then tharted by cutting across it at right angles. The cubes were called balls, hence ball clay.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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