A nationally important type of kiln – it has an inclined plane!
The Morwellham kiln is thought to have acquired its incline in 1816-17 at the completion of the Tavistock Canal incline and its plateways, which were interconnected. It was constructed by Gill & Co, who operated Morwellham Quay and were major shareholders and promoters of the Tavistock Canal.
A waterwheel of about 30ft diameter by 2ft breast was driven by water from the Tavistock Canal and hauled wagons up a 33 degree incline of combined stone and timber construction, onto rail-lines on timber trestles, raised above the loading deck of the kiln. Side-tipping wagons seem to have been used, tipping limestone and coal onto the loading deck and coal onto lower flanking bunkers for the side-feed passages of the continuous-burning kiln.
This section drawing of the Morwellham kiln incline (looking upstream) was reconstructed from archaeological surveys and excavations between 2003 and 2005, and also shows the two plateway turntables which linked the incline with quayside sidings.
Research by Robert Waterhouse FSA, assisted by the Morwellham Archaeological Group, 2002-2010.
Morwellham, Tavistock, Devon PL19 8JL.
A nationally important type of kiln – it has an inclined plane!
The Morwellham kiln is thought to have acquired its incline in 1816-17 at the completion of the Tavistock Canal incline and its plateways, which were interconnected. It was constructed by Gill & Co, who operated Morwellham Quay and were major shareholders and promoters of the Tavistock Canal.
A waterwheel of about 30ft diameter by 2ft breast was driven by water from the Tavistock Canal and hauled wagons up a 33 degree incline of combined stone and timber construction, onto rail-lines on timber trestles, raised above the loading deck of the kiln. Side-tipping wagons seem to have been used, tipping limestone and coal onto the loading deck and coal onto lower flanking bunkers for the side-feed passages of the continuous-burning kiln.
This section drawing of the Morwellham kiln incline (looking upstream) was reconstructed from archaeological surveys and excavations between 2003 and 2005, and also shows the two plateway turntables which linked the incline with quayside sidings.
Research by Robert Waterhouse FSA, assisted by the Morwellham Archaeological Group, 2002-2010.
Morwellham, Tavistock, Devon PL19 8JL.
