Location : Eamont Bridge
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 554263
Clifton Dykes, Penrith, CA10 2DH. Tel 01768 866657 / 07764 352835.
Email : bunnyhugger@wetheriggsanimalrescue.co.uk
The pottery that used to operate at the Wetheriggs site is no more, but the site is now used as a county-wide animal rescue centre, caring for a range of animals including Shetland ponies, alpaca, rhea, numerous reptiles, amphibians and birds of prey.
Some remains of the historic site can still be explored, though it is rapidly becoming dilapidated.
The animals are usually pets that can no longer be looked after by their owners or have been swapped for animals in other rescue centres. They also have a variety of rescued wild animals.
Wetheriggs Animal Rescue & Conservation Centre will rescue anything but cats and dogs. Wetheriggs Animal Rescue and Conservation Centre houses anything from sheep to skunks and bunnies to bearded dragons. They endeavour to give sick and injured animals another chance at life and work closely with the RSPCA and police forces. It is a not for profit organisation and all proceeds go towards their rescue work.
Parrots fly free here.
The newt pond.
A very large snake fast asleep.
Camilla the Kune Kune pig, rescued from a council house in Manchester, and some of her babies.
A very hungry sheep.
Eagle owl.
The ancient beehive kiln.
The ancient blunger.
A young alpaca.
History of the site :
Towards the end of the 17th century, bricks became the most common building material in use. The pottery at Clifton Dykes was established about 1855, and was originally a brick, tile and pipe works, supplied by a rich seam of red clay at Clifton Dykes, and coal from the pits of West Cumbria. Almost all the wares produced were for local use.
During the 1860's with the arrival of the Schofields from the North East some innovations occurred, and Wetheriggs started producing house wares. After the second World War, a new market emerged for decorative wares, as people brightened up their homes. The pottery became a popular visitor destination.
The Beehive Kiln
The Beehive Kiln ceased to be used in 1960's when the railway closed, and coal could not be easily transported to the site. Wetheriggs was scheduled as a National Industrial Monument in 1973 to preserve it for posterity, and was until recently the UK's only remaining steam-powered pottery.
The Blunger.
The steam engine - restored by Fred Dibnah in 1995.
Back in the old days, the Wetheriggs clay was dug from a pit across the road, and left out during the winter so that the action of frost would break it down. It was tipped into the turning blunger (above) and mixed with water from the reservoir (todays newt pond). The beam of the blunger was turned by the steam engine, and the movement caused the stones and sand in the clay to sink. The slurry containing clay was then channelled into settling pans, the water drained off, and the clay left to dry out.
Aerial photo by Simon Ledingham.
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