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Summary

'Clay sheds'. Likely that this building is the one connected with these referred to by Worth as the clay dry at the termination of the china clay pipeline from the Knatta-Barrow clay pit near the Glazebrook Viaduct. Visited and recorded in 2020.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of settling pits and causeway and structural remains of a building relating to 19th century or earlier clay working north-east of Pennaton Bridge

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX65NE/240
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• INDUSTRIAL BUILDING (XVIII to XIX - 1751 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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

Depicted on the late 19th century historic map as 'Pennaton Cottage'. Building is rectangular, aligned south-east by north-west and is subdivided, or has an enclosed yard attached at the south-east end.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

The early 20th century historic indicates the building. The north-western part appears to still be roofed at this time; south-eastern end looks to be a adjoining court.

Ussher, W. A. E., 1912, The Geology of the Country around Ivybridge and Modbury (with chapter on altered rocks by G barrow). Explanation of sheet 349, page 349 (Article in Serial). SDV144359.

R. H. Worth contributed notes to this publication.

Robinson, R., 1977-1979, South Brent Parish Checklist, 485-88 of 821, sketch (Worksheet). SDV151046.

(SX65NE/240, May 1977) China clay building with brick kiln. Extant. A building standing alone in a field (Ordnance Survey plot 477, tithe map number 1481 (North Park). It is clearly not an ordinary barn, having three large arched openings on the east side and a regular series of arched window openings on the west side. The northern end has been renovated for use as a barn but the remainder is roofless and has lost the timber floor of its first storey.
It is built of random slate rubble with the arches formed from red flat faced unlettered brick, some bricks having areas of purple glaze. It measures 32 feet 9 inches (10 metres) in width (length not recorded) and has walls 21 inches (0.53 metres) thick with an internal splay carefully built for each opening. It is reached by a built causeway along the south-west side of a field (Ordnance Survey 798) from the lane near Pennaton. There is a levelled area on the south-west side which may represent a siding on the railway to which it is adjacent, or timber shed areas. Since the building is sited adjacent to one of the few points on the railway hereabouts that is neither cutting nor embankment this seems to suggest that it was built here deliberately to link with the railway. It is known locally ass 'Clay sheds' (personal comment).
In field 798 (Long Close on the tithe map but Claypits to the present tenant) are six circular depressions that may represent recently filled in china clay settling tanks, it is likely that this building is the one connected with these referred to by Worth (1912, R. H. Worth, 'Notes Contributed to memoir of the Geological Survey, Ussher, W. A. E., Sheet 349, p 349) as the clay dry at the termination of the china clay pipeline from the Knattabarrow clay pit near the Glazebrook Viaduct.
Causeway measures 9 feet (2.7m) wide and is 0.7m in height (above field level). According to local owner, the causeway along the side of the field by the settling tanks (which measure about 15m diameter) carried the china clay liquid in a launder from which sluices controlled its passage to the settling tanks. It was also reported that the building nearby held a brickkiln.
Possible brick kiln (beehive type). Nearly filling the north half of the interior of the building are the low footings of a circular structure. This measures 6.0 metres in external diameter and the walls which are about 0.65 metres wide are composed of stone externally and brick internally. The bricks are laid radially to the centre and are coarse and reddish in colour. No lettered bricks can be seen but one lying loose nearby has the impressed words "King Stourbridge" while also found were a pair of coarse purple-brown slightly tapered irregular bricks fused together, with doubtful traces of salt glazing. These may have been over fired wasters from the kiln.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

The modern mapping shows ruins of this building. A mid-late 20th century cottage to the north-west is now known as Pennaton Cottage.

Ferry, T., 2020, Pennaton China Clay drying kiln building, South Brent (Report - Survey). SDV363876.

(Visited September 2020; condition assessed and photographed). Tenant reported the collapsed section of wall occurred within the last 20 years. Previous HER source description refers to one missing floor in the south-eastern section of the building, but there appear to have been two.
Suggested that the modern-brick section of the dividing wall dates from the conversion of the north-western section to a barn and closes the opening through which hot air entered the clay dry from the furnace.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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