Internet Archaeol 1 Peacey. Belfast

Belfast

Figure 84: Hamilton's Belfast kiln taken 1914 (Deane 1914, Plate I).

Figure 85: Belfast kiln of M'Creedy from Belfast Telegraph November 9th 1933.

A photograph taken in 1914 (Figure 84) shows Hamilton's kiln at Bathurst Court, Belfast. (see Deane 1914, 8-12 & Walker 1977, 1618-25) It is a simple, open chambered, cylindrical, brick built updraught structure. The chamber is 2 metres (6 feel 8 inches) high surmounted by a shallow dome. Adjustable iron bands linked by vertical straps encase the outer walls. Although the picture is too restricted to be certain of the fire box arrangements it would appear that, flanking the door, there are two fire boxes which from their position suggest an arrangement of three similar to the Leeds kiln of Samson Strong (Figure 64). Emerging at an angle from the centre of the crown there is a cylindrical chimney constructed from pre-formed pipes. This has been daubed over with clay, part of which has fallen away. The material from which the pipes are made cannot be deduced from the photograph. Inside the partly emptied kiln there are three bungs of saggars with a single saggar filled with fired pipes displayed on the floor.

A second photograph from Belfast has been reproduced from the Belfast Telegraph for November 9th 1933 (Figure 85). It shows Mr M'Creedy 'placing pipes into "saggers" before firing in the kiln'. Part of the top of the kiln is open allowing access to the topmost saggars. There is a similar central prefabricated chimney to that at Hamilton's. This appears to spring from a large central disc with a channel round its circumference. This channel could have been used to locate bats or other covering material used to close up the kiln. The kiln is 12 or 13 courses high or somewhere in the region of 40 to 48 inches. A kiln of this height could have been loaded entirely from the top. In the foreground a fire box projects outwards from the kiln wall. It is not clear if this was the only fire box or one of several. The projecting brick at M'Creedy's hip may be part of a second fire box concealed behind his apron and legs