18th century clay tobacco pipe factory found in Bath

Archaeologists excavating an area in Sawclose discovered dozens of tobacco pipes inscribed with workers' initials.

Dozens of clay smoking pipes have been found at Sawclose where excavation 
work is being carried out [Credit: Paul Gillis]

They found two five-and-a-half foot kilns among a series of other production rooms while preparing the site ahead of a planned £19 million casino, hotel and restaurant complex. It is believed the factory operated between around 1780 and 1860 – before cigarettes were invented.

A team from Cotswolds Archaeology has worked carefully on the Sawclose project with Deeley Freed Estates, Richard Sermon of Bath and North East Somerset Council and Melanie Barge of Historic England since 2008. They are opening the site up to the public between 10am and 2pm on Saturday, October 31, where experts will talk about its history and show off some of the artefacts recovered from the dig so far.

A clay pipe factory dating back to the 18th century has been found intact
 underground in Bath [Credit: Paul Gillis]

Ahead of the open day, the Bath Chronicle has gained exclusive access to the site and spoke to archaeologist Simon Sworn about the early stages of the excavation. He said: "It's very rare to find a clay pipe kiln in this condition. Most were destroyed or demolished when they went out of business. So to find one intact is very rare. The fact it's been preserved is really quite unusual."

Mr Sworn said that the factories were normally built from the bottom up, but this one in Sawclose was built into the ground. This meant that when the tobacco pipe factory shut, it was cemented over and a school playground was built over the top of it. This aided its preservation - and while the team knew it was there from looking at historical maps before they started excavation, the condition it has remained in came as a surprise.

Clay pipe found at the site 
[Credit: Paul Gillis]

Mr Sworn said: "We didn't know how well it was preserved. It's very exciting to look at some of the history of Bath that is not Roman. It's an industry that not a great deal is known about."

The factory will be recorded and preserved. Mr Sworn said Costwolds Archaeology is in discussion with English Heritage about safe ways to preserve the factory "so the building that goes on top of it won't have any negative impact at all."

Clay pipe found at the site 
[Credit: Paul Gillis]

He said a protective membrane will be put over the brick and it will all be filled with gravel that self-compacts.

As work progresses the team expects to reveal further remains associated with the medieval, and later Georgian, houses that once stood along adjacent Bridewell Lane. They hope to trace the clay pipe makers by the initials left on them.

Source: Bath Chronicle [October 24, 2015]