Halfway House

Notice of this site was given in 1990 whilst Dr Peacey was excavating trials in Juniper Dingle. It was rumoured that a kiln had been discovered by a previous owner in remarkable condition with pipes still inside. When the site of this discovery was pointed out it seemed unlikely that anything substantial could have existed under a cultivated garden. The opportunity presented itself in 1995 to test the story by excavation. Although the accuracy of the location soon became obvious all that survived of the kiln was a shallow bowl of burnt and degraded brick. It was possible to form a picture of the construction of what could only be the firebox of the structure. It had a brick floor on which a semi circle of upright "soldier" bricks had been placed with their thin side towards the centre. Between each of these another brick with its wider side towards the centre was placed at an angle so that its face ran from the inner edge of the soldiers at their base to the outer edges at the top. By this arrangement a circular muffle could sit on the inner half's of the soldiers leaving a series of flues round the outside.
Only one pipe was recovered, a tailed heel marked with the name Thomas Hopkins.
Several other pipes have been recovered from the garden soils during cultivation.
Subsequent deep trenching for cultivation located more pipes in an ashy layer. Two are marked with a rose and crown stamp others with the full name stamps of Richard Haman, Thomas Hopkins and Stephen Watkins.

Related Links: Juniper Dingle Kilns Pipes