Archaeological Investigations -Fireboxes and Kiln (LBA 1990)

In one of the trenches, the LBA archaeological teams discovered fireboxes connected to arched brick tunnels that ran under the kiln floor. The floor was connected to the tunnels by small vents set at equal intervals. In the mouth of the tunnels were metal grates to support the burning coal. Between and running parallel to the tunnels were pairs of terra-cotta pipes, which transported the heated air towards the kiln. The fireboxes themselves were rectangular depressions at the mouth of the tunnel, surrounded by brick flooring, which was a work area for the handling of the coal.

There were approximately 20 fireboxes per kiln at the S & F brickworks. The LBA team estimated that a kiln would measure approximately 125 feet by 100 feet (see an example of a rectangular permanent kiln in the Firing Section). The kiln's interior consisted of a floor of slate slabs laying over the natural subsoil and eight courses of brick (LBA, 1990: IX-1-IX-2).