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Ancient Cogs Power Britain's Tile Future
5 Jul
Summary
- Tessa Oldroyd operates a century-old machine for tile production.
- Clay is sourced from the Humber Estuary for tile making.
- William Blyth is one of about a dozen firms keeping traditional methods alive.
Beside a machine predating her grandfather, Tessa Oldroyd breathes life into Britain's tile-making past. At William Blyth in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, clay, largely quarried from the Humber Estuary, undergoes a transformation.
Oldroyd, the sole woman among 24 workers, feeds blocks into a historic machine nicknamed "the stupid." This intricate mechanism, powered by century-old cogs, squeezes the clay into tiles. These are then baked in a traditional coal-fired kiln, a process passed down through generations.
William Blyth stands as one of the few traditional companies maintaining these age-old practices. They persevere while many in the industry face significant economic pressures and opt for modernized production methods.
