Winning the clay

Process

China Clay (Kaolinite) was removed from the ground with hand tools and removed from its overburden. Indeed, the clay was covered with soil and plants that had to be removed. Next, it needed to be separated from the decomposed granite. High pressure hoses were run over the clay face.

The remaining clay and sand mixture forms a white milky liquid called slurry. Slurry used to be pumped from the pit by a water-wheel and spilled into drags. Water-wheels were used to produce energy and run pumps, although later many in Cornwall were replaced by steam engines. Drags were concrete channels used to settle out Quartz and Mica sands from the clay.

Later, clay had to be dried for a few days in settling pits. When it thickened to the consistency of single cream, the clay was channelled through pipes to settling tanks where it continued to dry for up to 3 months. Lastly, it was spread across the Pan Kiln’s floor made of porous pan tiles that allowed the heat through to finish drying.