Description:This marl pit supplied clay for John Caddick's Spoutfield Brick and Tile Works on Brick Kiln Lane. Red brick clay in this area is called Etruria Marl and was extracted by opencast mining and the big holes in the ground were always referred to as Marl Holes. Staffordshire Blue bricks were also made using Etruria Marl, by using higher firing temperatures the surface of the brick was slightly vitrified and this gave a dark blue colour. Staffordshire Blue bricks have a very high crushing strength and were used in the construction of almost every railway, road and canal bridge in the United Kingdom. The marl hole has been filled in and is now part of a modern housing development in Brick Kiln Lane. The houses visible in the background are on Newton Street.