Nithsdale Ornamental Tile and Pottery Works, New Cumnock, East Ayrshire
Below – undated – Nithsdale Ornamental Tile and Pottery Works.
I was given this photo of a map but there is no date on it. I cannot find these Works on the online OS maps. The works are situated at Meikle Westland to the East of New Cumnock.
History of New Cumnock – There was also a clay mine just below the Antimony Mines, the clay was extracted and taken to the machinery on the edge of Polshill Burn. This machinery was operated by a water wheel which drove a long horizontal shaft which in turn, through a series of teeth and pinion gear wheels, drove a large paddle type mixer. The clay was emptied into the paddle tank and the paddles in turning broke up the clay and liquefied it so that it could be pumped( by a pump also geared off the shaft) down to the drying sheds at Meikle Westland. The works were known as the Nithsdale Tile Works.