Monument record 1160/0/686 - Clay Pipe Kiln, Horseshoe Street

The site of one of Northampton's main Victorian clay-pipe workshops was observed in 1974 during demolition.

{1} In 1840 Francis Street of Horse Shoe Street, Northampton was making tobacco-pipes followed by Thomas Street of Horse Shoe Street in 1856. This business was taken by Brooks and Hughes who closed down about 1890.

{2} The site of one of Northampton's three main Victorian clay-pipe workshops was observed and items collected
during bulldozing on 27th-28th March, 1974. Hundreds of clay-pipe fragments, some obvious wasters, together with lumps of partly vitrified clay and an area of intense burning show that pipe-kiln(s) had been present.
A provisional list of the main pipe-makers working here, from directories and other documentary sources, is as follows: Francis Street (1840-50), Thomas Street (1840-59), Sarah Street (1859-61), Francis Hughes (1862-77), and Thomas Brooks (1864-93). Further study of the documentary and archaeological evidence for these and other Northamptonshire clay-pipe makers is being carried out.

<1> Moore, W.R.G., 1980, Northamptonshire clay tobacco-pipes and pipemakers, (unchecked) (Book). SNN66479.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p. 173 (Report). SNN41605.

Record last edited

Oct 24 2023 4:18PM