EDUCATION CENTRE

Development of the Clay Industry

Hand tools to cut the clay underground were gradually replaced from the 1930s with specially-designed pneumatic spades.

Following the Second World War, the ball clay industry became increasingly mechanised in response to growing demand resulting from the post-war housing boom.

The use of pneumatic spades in place of hand tools became more widespread in the quarries. The first mechanical excavator to be used in the South Devon clay fields seems to have been a steam-powered machine which appeared in 1924. Others followed, including drag-line equipment, and were largely used for removing the "overburden" of material above the clay seams.

Until more precise bucket excavators were developed, extraction of the clay continued to be by hand using pneumatic spades. From the 1960s, the increasing sophistication of hydraulic excavators allowed skilled operators to develop their use in the seam-by-seam extraction of clay, eventually entirely replacing the pneumatic spade.

Moving the Clay Around: By Land

In the early days, ball clay was transported by pack-horse trains from the clay fields down to the quay at Teignmouth. Improvements in the roads allowed the use of horses and carts (which were often hired from local farmers), and this continued right up until the 1900's, carrying the clay from the pits to the clay cellars (storage sheds) beside the canal and to the river wharves. With heavy military demand for horses in World War I, WBB moved to steam wagons, which remained in service until the 1930's.

The railways played a role in clay transportation from 1866, when the Moretonhampstead branch line was opened. Clay loading facilities were provided at Heathfield station in 1874, and in 1890 a special siding for clay traffic was constructed at Teignbridge. Clay was transported by rail to "The Potteries" - particularly the Stoke-on-Trent area of Staffordshire - and also to deep-water ports for export.

From the 1930's, road transport began to claim a larger share of ball clay transport for the home market.

Moving the Clay Around: By Water

The Stover Canal was constructed in 1794 and greatly eased the passage of barges from the Bovey Basin clay fields onto the Teign estuary and down to ships moored at Teignmouth.

Clay barges on the Stover canal, loading to take clay to Teignmouth

Distinctively-shaped canal barges were loaded at the clay cellars and made their way - initially powered by distinctive huge square sails, later pulled by steam tug - down the canal to the Teign estuary.