Date:September 1964
Description:The kilns had domed roofs with a separate chimney and were called downdraught ovens. There were 8 to 10 "firemouths" around the outside of each oven used to stoke the fires. The hot gases were drawn up into the kiln and then downwards through the oven, pulled by the draught from the tall chimneys behind the kilns. These are intermittent kilns, with each firing taking up to two weeks (loading, drying, two days at firing temperature, three or four days to cool and a day to unload). Each beehive could fire about 12,000 bricks in each cycle. Around each oven are "bonts": iron bands tightened around the ovens and used to support the brickwork and prevent warping during firing. Dampers on the roofs were used to control the oven temperature.
Click on an item to view details for that resource
G H Downing's Blurton Tileries just after closure in 1964. A view of the beehive ovens, chimneys and ...
The kilns had domed roofs with a separate chimney and were called downdraught ovens. There were 8 to ...
A general view of the north side of G H Downing's Blurton Tileries, just off Ballinson Road in Blurton. ...
G H Downing's Blurton Tileries looking north east towards Blurton and Fenton. The factory closed just ...
Share:
Creators: Mr Bert Bentley - Creator
Image courtesy of: Stoke on Trent City Archives.
Donor ref:SD1480/200-23 (204/38369)
Copyright information: Copyrights to all resources are retained by the individual rights holders. They have kindly made their collections available for non-commercial private study & educational use. Re-distribution of resources in any form is only permitted subject to strict adherence to the usage guidelines.