Monument record MWX645 - Post medieval jetties and breakwaters associated with alum works, Kimmeridge

An alum works and an associated group of jetties and breakwaters, situated on a natural enclosure of Bituminous shale along the coast of Kimmeridge. The monument lies in Kimmeridge Bay with the remains of other multi-period industrial remains which include Early Iron Age and Romano-British salt works (SY 97 NW 25) and a post-medieval glass works (SY 97 NW 46). Historical evidence indicates that an early, but unsuccessful attempt was made to produce alum at Kimmeridge during the 1570s. Later, Sir William Clavell established a successful works which operated from 1605, although it closed following an alleged breach of monopoly in 1618. An inventory of 1617 records the presence of two alum houses and the possible stone foundations of these have been identified along the foreshore, buried beneath the accumulated waste deposits of later industries. Shale quarries are also present behind the coastal cliff. Archaeological survey has recorded an extensive and well stratified sequence of industrial deposits relating to the alum industry, including burnt shale, slag and other deposits, all lying to the south of the shale quarries. The foreshore is known to support a sequence of timber and stone-built jetties and breakwaters which date between at least the 17th and 19th centuries. At least two tramways were built down to the jetties. These were designed to enable the export of industrial products by sea. It has also been stated that, in the 19th century oil was extracted for a time from the shale Scheduled

Kimmeridge was developed as a commercial port towards the end of the 17th century, when a stone quay was built to deal with the shale trade. It never paid its way and was battered to pieces in a storm in 1745. It was replaced a century later by a new quay which is now in ruins, with a small slipway beside it for hauling up boats. While this little port was still active, which was within living memory, it exported, besides the shale, cement and fish. <2>

Alum industry built up at Kimmeridge by Sir William Clavell in the early 17th century (Transcription of 17th century documents). <4>

SY 908787. A pier and sea wall on the east side of Kimmeridge Bay were built probably by Sir Wm. Clavell in the early 17th century, in connection with plans to extract alum from the local shale, and also use it as fuel for the extraction of salt from sea-water. The pier, built of large blocks of squared stone laid dry, is approximately 75 yards long and 26 feet wide at the base of sloping sides. Extending north-east from the pier are the tumbled remains of a sea wall of similar construction. A tramway behind Hen Cliff (SY 909787 - 912782) survives as an embankment, cuttings and terracing. It is 4 to 6 feet wide and runs for 1900 feet from the cliff edge above Yellow Ledge down a carefully made gradient to a terraced platform about the 110 feet by 15 feet on the top of the cliff above the pier. It is not known whether this tramway was also the work of Sir William Clavell. In the 19th century oil was extracted for a time from the shale, and a further tramway nearly a mile long was laid from workings at SY 916782 and 915787 down to the shore just north of the earlier structures, where a timber pier, now destroyed, condition. <3>

The 19th century pier is, quite correctly, not shown on the OS 25" or the current OS 6"plans since, as it is reduced to an amorphous spread of material, it is barely recognisable. The associated tramway embankment at SY 90957877 is adequately shown; the cutting at SY 90957869 is visible but much ploughed down, but could probably be retained on the OS plans. <5>

Structures associated with salt boiling are visible in an eroding cliff, a possible alum furnace was uncovered on the hill east of the quay in 1976 and the stream running into the bay has been diverted, possibly for alum washing. A glass furnace [SY 97 NW 46] was excavated in 1980-1. <6>

Fragments of the piers and jetties were digitally plotted from aerial photographs (8) during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

An alum works and an associated group of jetties and breakwaters, situated on a natural enclosure of Bituminous shale along the coast of Kimmeridge. The monument is located in Kimmeridge Bay with the remains of other multi-period industrial remains which include Early Iron Age to Romano-British salt works and a post medieval glass works. Later, Sir William Clavell established a successful alum works which operated from 1605, although it closed following an alleged breach of monopoly in 1618. An inventory of 1617 records the presence of two alum houses and the possible stone foundations of these have been identified along the foreshore, buried beneath the accumulated waste deposits of later industries. Shale quarries are also present behind the coastal cliff. Archaeological survey has recorded an extensive and well stratified sequence of industrial deposits relating to the alum industry, including burnt shale, slag and other deposits, all lying to the south of the shale quarries. The foreshore is known to support a sequence of timber and stone-built jetties and breakwaters. At least two tramways were built down to the jetties to enable the export of industrial products by sea. During the 19th century oil was extracted for a time from the shale. <8-9>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1903 (Map). SWX1540.

(SY 90797874) Pier (NAT)

<2> Hudson, K, 1968, The industrial archaeology of southern England in The industrial archaeology of the British Isles, 78 3a (Article in serial). SWX2821.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 1, 133 (Monograph). SDO148.

<4> 1968-73, Notes and queries for Somerset and Dorset 29, p81-5 (Article in serial). SWX2822.

<4.1> Smedmore Mss (Unpublished document). SDO20206.

<5> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 01-MAY-86 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<6> Crossley, D, 1987, Sir William Clavell's Glasshouse at Kimmeridge, Dorset: The Excavations of 1980-81, p340-2 (Article in serial). SWX2825.

<7> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1987, Archaeological Journal 144, 340-42 (Serial). SWX9317.

D Crossley

<8> Gould, Shane, 1993, Monuments Protection Programme Industrial Monuments Step 1 Report: The Alum Industry (Monograph). SDO20207.

<9> Gould, Shane, 1993, Monuments Protection Programme Industrial Monuments Assessment Step 3 Report: The Alum Industry (Monograph). SDO20205.

<10> DCMS, 2000, Scheduled Monument Notification 2000, 07-JUL-2000 (Scheduling record). SWX2721.

<11> Channel Coastal Observatory, 24-JUN-2008, SY9078NE_20080624.ecw (Aerial Photograph). SDO12880.

<12> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456579 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 7 2024 8:29AM