Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

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Horus
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Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Horus »

As today was nice and sunny, a rare change from the awful miserable weather of the past few weeks I decided to take myself and Annie out for a stroll. I doubled this up with visit to a wholesale butcher from who I buy Ox hearts as part of Annie’s feeding routine and nearby is a local public free space around a lake. As we live nearer the countryside we usually go in the opposite direction, but as I would be in the area I decided to kill two birds with one stone, plus I had not been there for some time.

The area is known as Westport lake and is a reclaimed area of industrial wasteland and still sits in the centre of what used to be a large Pottery producing area and although it has lost a lot of the old industry it is very derelict in many parts with old decaying factory buildings turned over to other uses. There is now quite a lot of urban development going on with new industries and housing springing up around the old canal artery that used to be a focal point for transport in the old Pottery industries of yesteryear.

The lake is about 1 mile in circumference and a little on the short side for our average stroll so we did a circuit, then deviated down the canal tow path towards the old town centre, returned and then did a return lap around the lake again. LLL was telling us about her Swans returning so I was keeping a weather eye out for them as we walked along as in the Spring this lake will host several pairs. I was rewarded by a single Swan probably a young female who had the lake to herself if we discount the dozens of Coot’s, Geese and the ubiquitous Canada Geese that squawk loudly as you pass by. Annie has developed a total disinterest in them and much prefers to chase off the pigeons as they strut about on the path.

My solitary Swan
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People often leave food for the birds and I have come to know the places to look out for them, this little Robin was tempted by a crushed up dog biscuit.
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My best find of the day was this really good looking Mistle Thrush, a bird I rarely ever see nowadays. I used to see lots many years ago, but I cannot remember the last time I actually spotted one, so this made my day even though it was hard to get close enough for a decent shot with my little Nikon pocket camera. He was hardly visible on the ground, but kindly posed for me in nearby tree.
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The trees are still bare, but at long last there are a few signs of Spring approaching, these Catkins in the hedgerows, dangling on the bare and leafless branches are a sure sign it is on its way.
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The day was very sunny and the air was quite still, the smoke from a wood burning stove drifted upwards as we passed this canal barge where the lady who lived in it had put a couple of throws outside to take advantage of a good drying day.
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As LLL has been doing her pottery classes I thought I would remind her of what a proper pottery ‘bottle’ kiln looked like back in the days when these kilns would be as common a sight as a chimneys on a roof and every manufacturer from Royal Doulton, Spode, Beswick, Wedgewood etc. would have fired their ware in these type of kilns.
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Very few are now left and the pall of smoke from the coal they would burn would have blanketed the local towns. Now they lie derelict and the air is once more clean, modern electric/gas fired kilns have long since taken over. A very few, I would say less than half a dozen now remain and are usually covered by an Industrial Heritage preservation order and this is one of them. However I am appalled at how neglected the kiln now is, shrubs growing out of the intricate brickwork that will soon send their roots into the joints and cause damage, not to mention the dilapidated state of the surrounding buildings with black polythene bags covering broken windows and skips full of rubbish from local small businesses littering the yard.
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Now I know that all these things cost money, but surely we have a responsibility to our Grand kids to preserve and take proper care of our heritage, to see such neglect took all the joy out of spotting that Mistle Thrush. :(


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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Super interesting photos H and I do love seeing those kilns! I have never seen one before and didn't realize at all they were that common. They're fantastic and a great 'blast from the past' so to speak but I totally agree that with all that various greenery growing out of all the bricks & joining they're really not going to last much longer and the last photo is really showing quite a state of disrepair. Like yourself I think it would be a terrible shame if these all deteriorated beyond repair.

I too think there is a duty to preservation so as to be able to show the past and what was but is no more. Really too bad that these are in such disrepair with everything growing out of them - that level of vegetation doesn't happen overnight or in one season so it seems to me this has been going on for quite some time.

I'd imagine if those were dotting the landscape the air would be thick. I can only imagine hanging a white wash outside back in the day and retrieving in all the grey.

I do find everything related to pottery & ceramics more than interesting.

On of my most favourite museums is on in Hawaii (can remember the name but I think it is something as simple as "Royal Museum" that features lots of Asian ceramics and pottery over the years. Talk about intricate designs! WOW! One of my other favourites is the Chihuly Glass Museum in Tacoma Washington. They are working glass moreso than pottery but there is a viewing area to see people working with & blowing glass and then placing their work into huge kilns all somewhat designed like you'd be sitting inside the one in H's photo. Same shape of the viewing theater.

Super super interesting H! Love seeing what was and can definitely see in my mind's eye all the Royal Doulton or Beswick coming out of kilns.

Quite like your lone swan too. I've been waiting for the weather to stop raining plus a day so I can get down to the marsh and get close enough to snap a few photos of the swans out back now.
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Horus »

I will have to try and fit in a few more industrial heritage visits concerning the Pottery Industry for you LLL, :up you can build up a scrap book for your pottery class ;)
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Mad Dilys »

I haven't seen a Mistle Thrush for many years. :(
Smile! It confuses people
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Horus »

Mad Dilys wrote:I haven't seen a Mistle Thrush for many years. :(
That was what took me by surprise MD, I cannot remember when I last saw one. :( Maybe the fact that it is a haven for wild birds around that particular lake is the reason it was there, those in charge have done a great job of creating lots of sheltered and bushy habitats that go off from the main track and take you into smaller linked up areas complete with small ponds and lots of cover, they also make wind break fences from small logs and branches that benefit other small mammals and insects. :up
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Kiya »

Interesting walk Horus :) it is a shame to see all these buildings fall apart, I do like your swan photo, if sharper it would make a nice canvas :)

I'm sure its nicer in summer when everything has bloomed..................was it to cold for Annie to take a dip..
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Horus »

I only had my little Nikon with me Kiya and the Swan shot was into the sun which was very low and bright so the camera did not deal with it very well. It really is a very nice walk in the Spring and Summer when all the leaves are on the trees and very popular with locals in the area, it was once the location of the 'Port Vale' football clubs ground in the early days of the sport.

I found this interesting page link that actually shows the bottle kiln in my own photos in an arial shot of the old 'Top Bridge Works' you can see it slightly left of dead centre with the canal and towpath opposite where I took the shot. It also has some information on Westport Lake which was itself reclaimed from industrial wasteland.
http://www.thepotteries.org/heritage/waterfront3.htm

Annie did have a quick paddle Kiya, (she will go into water regardless of how cold it is) but it has a steep drop off around most of its edges with just the odd bit that slopes gently, but with all the Canada Geese using it as a ramp it is thick with mud, :td but we found one little spot where she waded in ;)
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Interesting attachment and aerial photo.

Reading the attachment it said: "Top Bridge Works is one the earliest examples of fire-proof construction" and maybe it is too early and I haven't had a coffee so am not thinking - but - what is 'fire proof construction?' Are they simply meaning it was built of brick? Or are they talking about some sort of furnace or something else?

Use of the word "perilous" doesn't bode well either for the place methinks.
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Horus »

I think it is a reference to it being all brick built, although it may refer to the fact that a 'bottle' kiln design is fully enclosed as opposed to open firing as was previously the case, but I am not really sure.
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

@H - I took it to mean brick thinking maybe they were making pottery - like raku which I think is a more open type of firing but I also thought it might have meant something else. To me it was just an odd reference but I can 100% live without having a definitive answer ;) (In other words I won't lose sleep over it!)

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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by Horus »

LLL, take a look at this link to some images of a restored pottery factory known locally as MiddlePort Pottery

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=middl ... 68#imgrc=_

It is just a little further along the canal tow-path from where I took the bottle kiln photo. It used to be owned by a friend of mine who was a member of the Shirley family who also owned a local Bone & Flint mill that sits along the canal further on, that mill too is now a museum and I have posted pictures on here before of their ancient steam operated ‘Beam Engine’ Princess, which is still in situ in the old factory.

I have also posted pictures of the Middleport factory taken from across the canal, but not inside or outside of the factory, so I will try and make time for a visit when the weather get better. :up
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Re: Bottle Kilns & Mistle Thrushes

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

Very interesting H! I actually love all the old factory brick buildings - the look of the them. So interesting.

What else I find super interesting is always seeing all the items that come out of the kiln. Always a lovely experience seeing how everything turns out and all the glazes etc. Always super interesting.
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