OLD TILE WORKS Heritage crafts

>> POOR OLD MISSY! The yard cat arrived at William Blyth, The Old Tile Works in Barton upon Humber, about four years ago. During our visit she was enjoying a snooze adjacent to the 100-year old coal-fired kiln which gently bakes the works’ hand-made clay tiles over the course of a few weeks. That’s until the team arrives, and proceeds to ‘break the wicket…’ at which point her sleep is disturbed and she has to find a new place to doze for a few days in between her work, keeping the site rodent-free. It’s something that happens about 45 times a year, but we still felt bad for her.

There’s a convenient quid-pro-quo in the team appreciating a lack of massive scary Humberside rats as they work, and Missy (who in her previous life was a stray) enjoying a good square meal a couple of times a day, plus her space by the nice warm kiln. Since 1840, William Blyth has been extracting local Alluvial clay from the land adjacent to the banks of the Humber estuary. The business uses the clay, which is extracted then stockpiled and processed at its sister site to hand make traditional clay roof tiles and fittings. Between the two sites, the company produces 1,500,000 tiles each year; mostly their Traditional Lincolnshire Pantile which is popular not just in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire but also throughout East Anglia and Southeast England. Between two and six weeks later, depending on the time of year and moisture in the air, the pug is pulled away and they team literally breaks into the kiln – the doorway to which, when plastered up, is referred to as the wicket – to retrieve the now beautifully baked heritage tiles. Adjacent to the site, too, Gabriel Nichols works in The Old Tile Works’ pottery to create one-off tiles – bespoke in size and shape for heritage purposes or for ridge tiles, verge tiles and so on – as well as terracotta pots for the garden, hand-thrown on the potter’s wheel. It’s to his studio that Missy relocates. Her temporary sleeping area is in a cardboard box next to Gabriel’s wood burner, where she’ll remain (in-between mousing duties) until the next lot of tiles are stacked in the kiln, the fires are lit, and the space adjacent to the wicket is once again nice and cosy.

William Blyth’s two granddaughters owned the site until 2005 when it was purchased by Harry Harrison and his family. Harry and his father had provenance in the area as arable farmers-turned specialists in earth-moving, so they understood the industry well. The Old Tile Works vacated the adjacent clay pits which is now Far Ings Nature Reserve, and now has two sites; Far Ings (on the western side of the Bridge) is the 19-acre works where Gabriel’s studio is. It’s also the site of a brand new garden centre, too (see over). About 400 yards away, on the eastern side of the Humber Bridge, is Hoe Hill which covers about 21-acres and that’s where the clay is dug up and processed for production on both sites. >>

Top: The brick kiln is over 100 years old and is seen here half-way during unloading. Its capacity is somewhere in the region of 22,000 tiles. Right/Above: Gabriel produces hand-thrown pottery for sale next door at the new garden centre.

>> At Hoe Hill, the team brings to the surface each year about 6,000 tonnes of beautiful alluvial Barton clay, which is placed into the ‘pie’ (a huge pile), where it’s blended with a bulldozer – akin to kneading bread dough – before being formed into square dowels about a cubic foot in size. There are four colour variations from natural terracotta to black smut, with a further six additional profile of tiles and 20 different associated fittings. Heritage specialists and planners in conservation areas, quite often insist properties are re-roofed using William Blyth tiles due to their unique weathering properties. A bespoke service is also offered to commission unique tiles to match a particular specification, or with original tiles that are no longer made by previous manufacturers. The clay then awaits the mill. It is processed into manageable size dowels around a cubic foot in size ready for the makers. The clay dowels are extruded to shape where they are then hand cut to size, trimmed, nailholed and carefully placed on drying racks where they are then left to naturally dry from anywhere from two to six weeks.

Far Ings Nature Reserve

Once dry the tiles are Far Ings Nature Reserve adjacent to The Old Tile Works is a former graded by hand and loaded on to trolleys and set by hand in the traditional down draft kiln awaiting to be fired. clay pit of about 220 acres which is now a protected conservation area and SSSI. and when they break into the kiln to remove the tiles, the residual heat is wonderfully dry and toasty; it’s like being on The kiln is traditionally lit on a Sunday holiday… lovely in the winter probably evening and fires around 22,000 tiles at a time, less so in mid-summer! by coal, for four days and four nights. Back in the early 1900s, William Blyth was It is important to carefully regulate the heat to one of over 20 tile producers on the Humprevent cracking – the kiln reaches tempera- ber Estuary. tures of between 100°c to 1,000°c at their Today it is the only surviving traditional hottest. Once the heat reaches 1,000°c the tiles handmade pantile manufacturer in the UK are held (soaked) at this top temperature to that is also firing its kilns solely by coal. make sure they adhere to strict performance and durability standards. As Harry points out, the amount of coal the site uses is negligible in terms of its output, Once the kiln has been allowed to cool as the kilns retain a great deal of heat. naturally, the pug is pulled away and the wicket is carefully broken – a traditional When the reserves of clay are exhausted at term used for the entrance – to hand remove a particular site, restoration invariably takes the beautiful handmade tiles. These are then place to convert the area and encourage graded by hand onto pallets ready for wildlife to populate as a nature reserve – Far despatch. The wicket-way is warm to touch – it’s easy Above: Gabriel’s studio. Right: The pottery and to see why Missy prefers to sleep next to it – the coal-fired furnaces which heat the kiln. Ings Nature Reserve (an SSSI) is a protected conservation area and was once a former clay pit created by one of the many Barton tile and brick works.

Meanwhile Gabriel spends half of his time creating specialist tiles by hand, and half of his time on traditional terracotta garden pots, sold in the adjacent Humber Bridge Garden Centre.

A small pot takes about 30 seconds, one of the larger 32” pots is shaped in about six minutes. A new garden centre on the site means there’s now an exclusive retail outlet for Gabriel’s work, as well as an artisan village to explore.

There’s lots to enjoy on site for humans –and la dolce vita for felines, too – but one of the nicest aspects about the site is that for many years to come, The Old Tile Works will be keeping a traditional craft alive and ensuring the site at Barton remains the UK’s only remaining site hand-making traditional clay pantiles. n

Humber Bridge Garden Centre:

A brand new lifestyle shopping destination

It’s now open, adjacent to the William Blyth tile works on the river Humber, Harry Harrison, owner of the William Blyth business, and Jake Massarella, Garden Centre Manager, are thrilled to see their latest project come to fruition. The opening of the new lifestyle destination in the form of a garden centre, offering both core gardening products, lifestyle and giftware too is attracting visitors from both the local area and further afield. The destination is set against the stunning back drop of the Humber Bridge, with the well-established restaurant and artisan village offering so much for an enjoyable visit. n The Humber Bridge Garden Centre is now open, located on Far Ings Road Barton-Upon-Humber, DN18 5RF. Call 01652 637095 or see www.humberbridgegardencentre.co.uk. The centre is open seven days a week from Monday to Saturday 9.30am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm.

Cross Keys Bridge, Long Sutton.

A WALK WITH PRIDE

A RAMBLE AROUND GEDNEY DROVE END

A fine, level walk with distant views over The Wash and across the River Nene with Norfolk not far away. Plenty of bird life, also the RAF at play, so take binoculars and pick a day with good weather and visibility!

Words: Lincolnshire Ramblers, www.ramblers.org.uk/lincolnshire.

Distance: 8 miles / 13 km. Route: See map overleaf. How to Get There: PE12 9PN (approx); OS grid reference TF460294. More Information: www.lincolnshireramblers.org.uk.

From Gedney Drove End’s Village Hall car park, turn left along the road and in a few yards take the signed path left, alongside a bungalow. The path leads you to the Old Sea Bank and once on it, turn left, continuing to a junction where you go right, heading out towards the coast, eventually passing a barrier and crossing a road before climbing the (new) sea bank (A). Out ahead is The Wash and RAF Holbeach Air Weapons Range, with observation posts left and right (the marsh was once one of the busiest aircraft bombing ranges in the country). Our route is right, and while walking, look a little to the left, to see a man-made island, with the coastline of Norfolk stretching away on the horizon. The town of Hunstanton can be seen away to the left on a good day.

This circular artificial island is called the Outer Trial Bank. It is one of two islands constructed during the 1970s for a governmental water resources scheme (the other, smaller one lies further east and closer to the Norfolk coast).

The plan was to see whether freshwater from the Rivers Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse could be captured using a tidal barrier, then stored in offshore reservoirs.

However, building these test lakes on a tidal estuary meant the fresh water soon became saline and with the trial costing over £3m, the plans were soon shelved and the trial banks abandoned in 1976.

They have now gained a new importance as a breeding bird colony, with around three thousand pairs of sea birds now nesting on the outer bank.

Continue on, passing a footpath right that leads directly back to the village. Ignore two further paths right, to reach a third path joining from the right (B). The silence of the walk is often punctuated by the plaintiff cry of the curlew and the more urgent warning whistling of the redshank. Inland, look for tinkling flocks of goldfinch and linnet.

Eventually, the sea bank turns right as the River Nene is reached. Continue, with twin ‘lighthouses’ ahead on either bank. Pass a footpath right, then notice the small wood beyond (C) planted to provide cover for birds. Cross a waterway – Lutton Leam – one of many that drain the fens, and continue, passing another path turning, to approach the greatly extended lighthouse. Go through a kissing gate and follow the narrow path to reach a road. The River Nene rises in Northamptonshire and was widened and straightened near its mouth in 1827 to facilitate shipping to the ports of Sutton Bridge and Wisbech. The lighthouses, designed by John Rennie the architect of Waterloo Bridge, were built in 1831 to commemorate the opening of the Nene outfall cut. They never functioned as lighthouses, but were merely markers to guide ships into the cut. In the 1930s, the East Lighthouse was inhabited by the naturalist and artist Sir Peter Scott. >>

“18th century maps show a track, Gedney Drove, running the four miles from Gedney Dyke out to the saltmarsh, where cattle were taken to graze...”

>> The one on the west bank that you have just passed was restored in 1986 and is Grade II listed.

Turn right and walk with care along the tarmac. On the corner of the first righthand bend a chapel stood for around 70 years (D).

Called St Philip’s Mission Church, it was built in 1869 as a Chapel of Ease for the labourers working on the construction of the New Cut of the river Nene. The building was demolished sometime around 1940 having been derelict for many years.

The road walking continues for just under a mile, to a point where the road bends sharp left. Here, go ahead on a track, which narrows to a path before widening again to reach a road (E).

Turn right and walk to a T-junction where you take the footpath ahead, walking on this old sea bank for about a mile, before reaching a lane (F). Turn left, walk to the road junction and turn right.

Heading back to your transport now, you pass the ‘Rising Sun,’ formerly the ‘Black Bull’. If ignoring the hostelry, walk ahead to the car park on your right.

The name Gedney Drove End clearly illustrates the purpose of the road you drove along to reach the village.

18th century maps show a track, Gedney Drove, running the four miles from Gedney Dyke out to the saltmarsh, where cattle were taken to graze.

A century later, a thriving community was established at the end of the drove road, boasting four pubs, a chapel, corn mill, blacksmith and a coastguard station. n

Sir Peter Scott lighthouse, image by Alam Smith.

The Retro 911

This summer Porsche is returning to the 1970s with the second of four limited edition 911 Sport Classic models which will reinterpret the 911 from different decades of the 20th century

THIS SUMMER Porsche is going back to the future. The sports car manufacturer is in the process of releasing four special editions of its 911, designed to evoke memories of the same model through different decades, from 1964, when it was first launched, to the present day. Already the firm has released a 2009 model with a Targa roof and styling inspired by the 1960s. And this month, it has revealed its second edition out of the four retro vehicles, inspired by 1972’s Carerra RS 2.7. So... a standard 911 with a retro paint job? Right? Well not quite. The ‘ducktail’ spoiler is inspired by the classic model, as are the 1970s-style Fuchs wheels. And yes, there is the matter of the Sport Grey Metallic paint specific to the Sport Classic, a brand new paint colour, as well as the twin-stripes on the bonnet and ‘60’ livery to the sides. However, the Sport Classic is mechanically unique in the sense that its 3.7-litre flat six engine with its twin-turbos is usually mated to an automatic gearbox in the conventional 911 Turbo. Here, though, it’s channeled via a seven-speed manual gearbox, making this car the most powerful ever manual 911. An ‘auto-blip’ feature on the gearbox allows for smoother shifts with a brief burst of revs when shifting down, and the sports exhaust has been fettled to create a more ‘emotive’ soundtrack to your driving. Elsewhere, there’s Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), with ride height lowered by 10mm, and rear wheel drive. Inside, the Sport Classic has a very 1970s looking Pepita ‘houndstooth’ cloth with leather elsewhere in the cabin in black and cognac. Sadly, the only thing that doesn’t recall the 1970s is the Sport Classic’s eye-watering £209,540 price tag. With a conventional 911 starting at less than £88,000 and even a Turbo or Convertible version between £100,000 and £150,000, that’s one hell of a premium. But with only 1,250 examples set to be made, the Sport Classic will at least hold its value, or appreciate in price. n

THE DETAILS Porsche 911 Sport Classic

Price: £209,540 (on sale now). Powertrain: 3.7 litre, six-cylinder twin turbo engine with sevenspeed manual transmission. Performance: 0-60mph: 4.1 secs. Top speed 196mph. WLTP range 22mpg. Equipment: 21” alloy wheels, 18-way electrically adjustable adaptive sports seats, PCM navigation and infotainment system, heated seats, wooden trim and Pepita cloth/leather seats. n

SITUATIONS VACANT AT PRIDE MAGAZINES FIELD SALES EXECUTIVE

REQUIRED

FIELD SALES EXECUTIVE

Excellent Salary + Commission + Benefits

Location: Boston Enterprise Centre, Endeavour Park, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 7TW

Full Time, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. No weekend work.

About us Lincolnshire Pride and its fellow titles Rutland Pride and Stamford Pride are the number one magazines in their areas, ensuring the highest quality editorial and photographs for our affluent readership.

The Role Due to the massive success of our titles, Pride Magazines has a full time position for a Field Sales Executive. Your role will involve looking after our existing clients and introducing new businesses to our portfolio of high quality titles. Experience is preferred although full training can also be given.

The Ideal Candidate: • You must be confident and determined. • Have excellent communication skills. • You should be accurate and methodical. • You must be hard working and self-motivated. Salary Excellent salary plus commission/bonuses. Basic salary is based on experience in telesales. Generous Benefits: • Exciting career with a friendly, professional team. • No weekend work, no late nights. • 25 days holiday, all bank holidays paid for. • Ongoing training with opportunities to progress your career within the business. • Workplace pension. • Modern air-conditioned offices with free parking. • Christmas party including free food, drink and accommodation. Plus: Christmas gift (usually a Fortnum & Mason food hamper). • NEW: Free unlimited tea, coffee and juice, use of kitchen, microwave, fridge and break-out area. • NEW: Free breakfast club with food and drink. • NEW: Quarterly work events including summer party, fully funded by management. Rewards for Heroes: As part of our desire to ensure a happy team and a fun working environment, our Directors and Managers also run a ‘Heroes and Superheroes’ programme, with up to three Heroes and a Superhero named each month: • Our Superhero receives a paid day off, a bottle of wine, chocolate or treats, a Friday afternoon off and a late start Monday, plus a month of free lunch vouchers and a full valet of their car.

• Heroes can ‘spin the wheel’ to win a prize, such as a paid day off, a Friday afternoon off, two late start Mondays, a full valet for their car, a meal out for up to four people, lunch vouchers, a free ‘fast food Friday,’ a family cinema ticket with treats and popcorn, or a choice of wine, chocolate, treats etc.