The kiln is still standing at the pipe works in King Street. The
site is known to have been used for the manufacture of pipes since
1881, first by Rowland Smitheman and after 1923 by the Southorn
family
(Higgins et al 1988, 5).
A kiln is shown in the same position on the Ordnance Survey map of 1882.
The kiln shown in plan was
built as an updraught bottle kiln; the four fire boxes are probably
original features. At some stage the kiln has been converted to
operate as a downdraught design; the internal sunken flues, external
subterranean flue and freestanding square chimney all relate to
this later phase. The wicket threshold is above ground level.
The "arrowhead" features indicated by dotted lines inside
the chamber adjacent to each firebox are the bag walls standing
about 1.2m high to direct the flame upwards to the crown before
being drawn down through the floor vents. The floor of the chamber
is made up of loosely placed fire clay slabs bridging the flues
but leaving spaces between for the downward passage of the fire
gasses.