Acme Brick Works

Newtown was the only brick works of any size in the West Penwith district and is thought to have operated between 1850 and the early 1900s. The works appears to have originally been set up by Captain Frederick Williams of Boscaswell Downs Mine and continued after his death by his son Richard, who was operating the site in 1883. These operations apparently used comparatively old technology, and only produced bricks from the kiln, not more than 100,000 units per annum. Clay for the bricks came from two different sources: red clay raised on the site and fire clay from Castle Hill. The latter site cannot positively be identified but may be Trenorwin or Tonkin's Downs, near Castle-an-Dinas. Waste sand from Bakers Pit was also utilised. The first mill was worked by a horse, and the kiln produced both bricks and tiles. Drying took 7½ hours and used 11 tons of coal.

Acme Brickworks pit

View of the flooded pit from the south.

Early in 1890 the site was worked as the Acme Brickworks, a company set up by Richard Matthews, Richard Bennets and John Edwards. In the following year they had managed to completely re-equip the site, including a new kiln built from bricks made on site. This kiln was of a completely new design and built by the foreman, William John Short. Short came from a brick industry family and could count 40 relatives in the trade, commencing with his father who was the foreman of the St Columb brick works. The kiln was the first square double kiln ever built, included four fire-boxes, and could hold 25,000 bricks as opposed to 11,000 in the old one. Short did not patent the new kiln because he could not afford the required £50 fee. The kiln was able to dry 25% more bricks for the same amount of fuel. Other equipment included a new engine with two 7½-inch cylinders and five-ton boiler, crushing equipment and steam mill.

Buildings comprised two offices, the kiln, and a drying shed measuring 80 by 23 feet, the latter capable of holding 25,000 bricks and was shuttered in case of storms or frost. The old kiln appears to have been still standing at this point, along with its drying shed, the new engine and boiler houses, iron mill and two rollers. Behind the big drying shed was the brick axe, also capable of holding 25,000 bricks.

The works had become abandoned by the time of the second Ordnance Survey in 1900. Very little detail is shown on the map and the impression drawn is the site had been abandoned for some time. There appear to be one large and three small pits, some of which could be reservoirs, four buildings and some walls. With this information it is not possible to guess where the new equipment was installed. Operations do not appear to have lasted for very long as in October 1905 it was reported that Wheal Geevor had acquired two engines and boilers from the works.

Back to list of clay and brickworks