Low Tide at the Creek

We had a short walk this morning down to Cofflete Creek, a tributary of the River Yealm in South Devon. At the head of the creek a path leads past an old mill and under a now disused railway line. The sloping walls at the entrance to the tunnel under the line are capped with very large Staffordshire Blue bricks. One of these remarkably well-preserved bricks is inscribed "Joseph Hamblet 1856 West Bromwich". Further research revealed that the Josepth Hamblet brickworks was established in 1851. The type of brick produced at the works was used for foundations and was extensively used for bridges and tunnels in canal construction, and later, for railways. Its lack of porosity made it suitable for capping brick walls, and its hard-wearing properties made it ideal for steps and pathways. It's strange what you come across when you start to look closely.