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Summary

Shaugh Prior China Clay Works to the south of Shaugh Bridge were constructed in the late 19th century and closed circa 1952. The clay works are visible as structures on aerial photogaphs but are largely obscured from view by dense tree cover on more recent aerial imagery.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SW38
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1050060
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SW/25

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHINA CLAY WORKS (XIX to Mid 20th Century - 1859 AD (Between) to 1952 AD (Between))

Full description

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

'Shaugh Works (China Clay)' shown on 19th century map

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

The clay works visible on aerial photographs of 1946 corresponds very closely to the works as depicted on the on the early 20th century Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25inch map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3236-3237 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Minchinton, W. E., 1976, Industrial Archaeology in Devon, 24 (Monograph). SDV7016.

The Shaugh Prior Clay Works were abandoned in the 1960's. The process of working can be followed clearly from the remains. In the quarries, the clay was broken up and washed into large settling pits, usually through a pipe or in early days an open leat, where the impurities (mostly mica) fell to the bottom. The clay and water was then pumped into the refining pits, where the clay was allowed to settle and the water was drawn off from the top. The clay passed into the drying tanks built like a Roman hypocaust.

Booker, F., 1979, Shaugh Bridge Works (Correspondence). SDV158972.

Impressive and well delineated complex in ruins. Dating from 1890's. Clay loading bays back onto intricate arrangement of settling tanks, sluices and lagoons. Area affected by National Park proposal for toilet block.

National Trust, 1984, Goodameavy, Devon (Pamphlet). SDV325229.

Owens, M., 1994, Industries beneath Dewer, 16-18 (Article in Serial). SDV158975.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1994, Shaugh Bridge Industrial Complex (Report - Survey). SDV158968.

Site visited in November 1994. Field observation of 19th and 20th century industrial complex at Shaugh Bridge.

Smith , J. R. + Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1996, Shaugh Bridge China-Clay Works: An Archaeological Evaluation (Report - Evaluation). SDV360309.

Measured survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and annotated and interpreted by Cornwall Archaeological Unit. The Shaugh Bridge works were built circa 1870 with additions circa 1880 and circa 1895 and closed circa 1952.
(08/03/1996) Centred SX 53376358. A china clay drying and processing plant, known as the clay drys lies ruined and abandoned. It was constructed sometime between 1870 and 1880 and it closed in 1952. China clay suspended in water was piped to the site whence it was filtered, settled and dried before it was exported. The ruined structures were surveyed in 1996 by the RCHME and a report on the works was complied by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit.
See SX 56 SW 46 for references to the pipeline and SX 56 SW 37 for references to the brickworks.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5363 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

are largely obscured from view by dense tree cover on more recent aerial imagery. Building platforms and circular settling tanks are identifiable.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5363 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

Ruinous structures are visible through dense tree cover.

Passmore, A., 2000, An Assessment of the Documentary Sources for the Shipley Bridge and Shaugh Bridge China Clay Processing Works, 2-4 (Report - Assessment). SDV360361.

Shaugh Bridge china clay processing works survives as a group of well-preserved but roofless structures above the present car park. Extraction of china clay began circa 1860 by Watts, Blake and Bearne Ltd and construction took place between 1870 and 1880. The site was originally leased from the Maristow Estate but was later purchased by Watts, Blake and Bearne Ltd. The works closed in 1952 when processing was transferred to the Headon Works. An evaluation of the site in 1996 identified three stages of development between 1870 -1895. Few documentary sources survive.

Richards, A., 2001, Shaugh Works (Personal Comment). SDV158978.

NMR SX56SW37 refers to the industrial complex to the north of Shaugh Bridge.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

'Shaugh Works (disused)' shown on modern mapping.

National Monument Record, 2017, Pastscape, 1030384, SX56SW37 (Website). SDV359964.

The abandoned iron mine and the adjacent ruins of the brick and tile manufacturing works located north east of Shaugh Bridge represents a unique survival of two late 19th century industries. Evidence of the brief industrial episode here is in the form of ruined structures and earthworks. These include the remains of one, probably two kilns and their associated buildings, a wheelpit and leat, rectangular stone lined pits, building footings, adits and in-filled mine shafts. Authority 'to mine and search' for iron was granted in a lease issued to the Ferro Ceramic Company in 1879. The terms of this lease and the assets of The Dewerstone Iron Mine, as it was then called, are described in an auction inventory dated 1883. The fate of the works after this date is not known but it seems likely that it was soon dismantled because it was disused by 1886.
At the confluence of the rivers Plym and Meavy are the remains of a china clay works operated from 1895 to 1952 by Watts, Blake & Bearne. The remains include settling tanks and leat. Various other buildings are shown on the ordnance survey first and second editions.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Shaugh Prior China Clay Works buildings and settling tanks are clearly visible as structures on aerial photographs of 1946, corresponding very closely to the works as depicted on the on the early 20th century Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25inch map.
The site is largely obscured from view by dense tree cover on more recent aerial imagery but is partially visible as ruinous structures on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2007.
Building platforms and circular settling tanks are identifiable on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.
The site was not transcribed by the survey.

Cunis, E, 2020, Image of the clay works (Photograph). SDV364010.

(11/12/2020) Vegetation growth is obscuring the site; photograph taken to illustrate condition.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7338 - Shaugh Bridge China-Clay Works: An Archaeological Evaluation
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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