Topic: Pottery Works, Queenborough

[Conal G]

@CPD absolutely great images thankyou so much for sharing them with us.! love the shot from just beside the shoreline, i do wonder did the site ever get flooded in times of stormy weather and high tides? there doesnt seem to be much of a barrier

@sheppey bottles - Its quite a modern looking building I had myself convinved that it wasnt on my site . thankyou for setting me stright on that!  would it have been one of the last building to be on the site?

[sheppey_bottles]

Alfred Johnsons goods were made for and shipped around the world, this page has a couple of unusual items for use in another country I take it..



They also made their own fittings on site...

[CDP]

[Alastair]

That's a very interesting plan, Conal G.
The rail network, I would venture is of two gauges. The standard gauge shown in double lines, and the heavy black line as the narrow gauge, given some of the very tight corners. Also interesting is the right angle turn at the corner of the building in between the two rows of kilns. There is a turntable on which one wagon at a time was turned through 90 degrees by hand and went off to the right betwen the kilns. Victorian idea but worked quite well.
The potteries are mentioned both as Tile Works and Potteries. Does this mean that it exclusively made tiles of possibly changed from general pottery to making tiles?

All very interesting

Alastair

[CDP]

[CDP]

Part of an early  brochure when the telephone number was Sheerness 82 !!!.This was also published in Spanish for the overseas trade .

[sheppey_bottles]

Sentinel S4 I have just altered my previous posting to say 'emptied' rather than 'tipped'..just in case it makes a difference to the type of engine you are looking for as I have not seen the trucks used.

[Sentinel S4]

Looking at the first map, thanks for the info Mr Bottles, the line seems to have a shed of sorts. I am wondering if, looking at the pic with both std gauge & nrw gauge, it was war surplus track and if they had any of the Simplex type petrol locos to work it. If they had, as you say, bottom discharge hoppers they must have had a decent grade and therfore must have had motive power. The simplex don't look like a loco more like a steel box on wheels moving along, or like an engine placed upon a chassis with rail wheels shoved underneath. Got me thinking about where to find out more. S4.

[sheppey_bottles]

I personaly have seen no pictures of narrow gauge locos on the site Sentinel S4 but if you look at Conal G's map of the site ( reply of Nov 8th) you will see at the potteries site a green line that runs just under the 102 number below where it says Glass works. Where this line ends in green you will see what looks like a crecent or long sickle shape line that runs through what look like bays. Hope that is clear so far Well.. those bays are where they stored materials before being fired in the kiln close by prior to grinding to make material for potting clay/slip. That crescent shape line ran up and over the bays and emptied the material into those bays below. Phew.

[Sentinel S4]

I managed to pull the string tight enough to have a chat with The Oracle in Ellan Vannen (Isle of Man) tonight. He well remembers the 'Pottery' at Queenborough, his Mum had rellies on the Island. He also remembers the rail system worked by Settle Speakman. They had two or three Peckett 0-4-0 saddle tanks, one of which lasted until the late 1960's. He has no recollection of any narrow gauge locos at all on the site. Coal and raw materials were bought in on the standard gauge line to the points of requirement. He remembers seeing the narrow gauge waggons, small 4 wheeled vehicles, being pushed about the site by men. This stands to reason as well as the last thing you want is a loco to stop short with a load of new product behind with loose couplings and no brakes........ Expensive to say the least. I will not state that there were no narrow gauge locos there as if I do Mr Bottles or Minsterboy will produce a picture showing one working. That said as far as I can find out, back to 1939/49 there was no narrow gauge steam locos in evidence to Dad.
                                                                                   Sentinel S4.

[sheppey_bottles]

I've a feeling there's something not right about that last photo - aren't the women too smartly dressed?

Reminds me of photos of the wives of the directors of a Cornish tin mine posing at the stamps with sledge hammers before the AGM dinner.

Perhaps I'm biased.

I think you are quite right..probably. I have also seen this done before but one thing I would say is that in other pictures Ladies are to be seen in the finer jobs more so than men. For example Ladies are mostly in Inspection on the capstan lathes and in sorting the wares whilst the men are pushing barrows, loading kilns making saggars etc. So it seems the quality is where the ladies are. Ladies and quality that goes together well.

[Sylvaticus]

I've a feeling there's something not right about that last photo - aren't the women too smartly dressed?

Reminds me of photos of the wives of the directors of a Cornish tin mine posing at the stamps with sledge hammers before the AGM dinner.

Perhaps I'm biased.

[sheppey_bottles]

Most if not all of the people who are in the picture would probably be long gone Minsterboy as it dates to around 1920/30's I suspect. I suppose if they stayed there long enough say to retirement,  youngsters joining the firm who are elderley now may recognise someone..

[Conal G]

Mainline trucks being loaded inside the potteries at Queenborough..

great image Mr Bottles.. thank you! its a pity there arent more pictures of the kiln themselves, they were such a dominant feature on the site! I have walked through the site a few times now.. its a very strange place, a kind of porcelain/ceramic landscape!

[sheppey_bottles]

It originates from a book that was produced by Johnsons to show customers the whole manufacturing process from begining to end, maybe you have seen it at the library or in a newspaper editorial. I would say that is exactly what they are doing Minsterboy, packing them safely. I wonder how many of the staff shown still have relatives on Sheppey?