Monument record MDO44609 - Kiln, Home Farm, Bettiscombe

Foundations of a rectangular updraught kiln were excavated in a field at Bettiscombe Farm in 1970. The bricks found there were of the same type as the manor house, and the kiln, being thought to be capable of firing 30-40,000 bricks at one time, probably served the needs of the estate. The kiln has not been dated, but probably ceased work circa 1920.

Recorded by NRIM. Photographed and sketched. <1>

Young, D, 1970, A Brick Kiln at Bettiscombe Manor, Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 92, 156 (Article in serial). SDO20714.

‘During the erection of fencing at Bettiscombe Manor, Mr. Michael Piney noted numerous brick, pipe and tile fragments resembling in colour and texture the bricks of the Manor House. Many of the fragments were obviously wasters, and he concluded that he might have located the site of a brick kiln, the presence of which had long been suspected from documentary evidence. It was decided to investigate further, and a small-scale excavation took place in August 1970.
The kiln proved to be a rectangular structure of brick and stone. It is of the up-draught intermittent-firing type, and was probably capable of burning 30,000 to 40,000 bricks at each firing, using coal as a fuel. From the evidence found during excavation, it appears that it was standing and probably in use for farm or estate purposes, rather than as a kiln, until deliberate demolition during this century, probably about 1920. It has not so far been possible to establish the date of the construction or the period of use, but investigations towards this end will continue in 1971.’

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, National Record of Industrial Monuments (NRIM), DO31 (Index). SDO17399.

<2> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, National Record of Industrial Monuments (NRIM), DO31 (Index). SDO17399.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1514358 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 26 2024 3:47PM