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Summary

Extensive area of kilns, brick working, clay pits and other extractive industries from at least the early 19th century until the mid 20th century

Monument Type(s):

• BRICK KILN (19th century to Mid 20th century - 1801 AD to 1950 AD?)
• BRICKYARD (19th century to Mid to Late 19th century - 1801 AD to 1850 AD?)
• CLAY PIT (19th century to Mid 20th century - 1801 AD to 1950 AD?)
• TILE WORKS (Late 19th century to Mid 20th century - 1880 AD? to 1950 AD?)

Full Description

Roberts' brief survey of brickworking sites in West Berkshire <1> includes Shaw Kilns Brick and Tile Works and the Clayhill Brickyard centred at SU 486681, evident on historic mapping until 1933 <7> but with no physical trace by c 1971. It is unclear whether the two sites were separate establishments, but the industrial area altered in extent over at least 125 years.

The Shaw Kilns were the premises of the Shaw Brick Company, as mentioned in an 1872 newspaper article about a fire there proceeding from a 'bavin stack' but which was extinguished <2>. The Newbury District Field Club also had an excursion in the late 19th century to look at the geology of Shaw Clay pits <3>. Sand, chalk and clays were visible in the exposed sections.

The 1808 Ordnance Survey Drawing <4> shows a brick yard on the south side of Kiln Road, with clay pits to the north. The Thatcham Tithe map delineates an oval area within a dotted line, which may represent the extent of extraction in the mid 19th century <9>. The First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping <5> depicts some kilns south of the road but many drying sheds and other kilns within the northern large clay pit , and other pits for extracting clay as well as sand and chalk <5>. By the time of the 3rd Epoch of 1911 <6> the Clayhill Brick Works had most of the long narrow buildings, and there were fewer but larger buildings at Shaw Kilns, making bricks, tiles and drain pipes. The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway had bisected the area by the end of the 19th century but there does not appear to have been a facility for loading or unloading goods onto trains.

By 1933 <7> industrial activity is only mapped north of Kiln Road, with fewer but larger buildings also at Clayhill Brickworks. The extractive area reached its greatest extent at this time. At some point in the mid 20th century the brickworking ceased.

A black and white photograph of the Brick Works in Kiln Road from the earlier 20th century <8> shows chimneys over an industrial complex with perhaps corrugated iron cladding.

The GIS polygon indicates the maximum area of extraction and brick and tile working.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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