Monument record MDO5790 - Verwood Pottery kiln at Prairie Farm, Horton

Pottery kiln site probably 18th century-19th century. The site of the pottery kiln is visible as a oblong mound in lidar imagery, it was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP.

Additional bibliography. <2> SU 075084. Pottery works at Prairie Farm were part of the coarse domestic pottery industry which existed in the Cranborne/Verwood area from the 16th century until the 1950s. The site was probably working in the 18th century, as a potter member of the Henning family was recorded there in the 1720s. The Henning family continued business on the site until about 1840. What is probably the original potters house remains together with a number of cob-walled buildings, one of which has a complete bushell pan built into a wall. The kiln mound survives intact and is approx 20 ft diameter and 15ft high (see illust). Investigations on the site including minor excavations on the kiln were carried out by Young (site 8). (3) The site is a rare survival, one of only two remaining from the once extensive pottery industry of East Dorset (see SU 00 NE 66 for pottery works at Sandalholme). <4> <7> The Verwood and District Potteries Trust has been established with the aim of acquiring the potteries at Prairie Farm and using them as a working pottery museum. <6> Listed as Horton Kiln 4. <8> Prairie Farm-house (the potters house SU 07570852) has been refurbished to a high standard, and the surrounding grounds landscaped. The whole is now a small country residence of quality, unoccupied and up for sale. Only two other buildings of the original complex remain (at SU 07800851 and SU 07570547). Both are small and have been redecorated externally but being locked it is not possible to say what their purpose or function was or whether any original features remain. The kiln-mound (SU 07560846) is densely overgrown and could not be inspected properly but a deep trench, presumably Young's excavation, is visible cutting into the N. side. The mound now measures approximately 22.0m NW-SE and 13.0m transversely: it is up to 3.0m in height. I think that the idea of turning Prairie Farm into a Pottery Museum has been abandoned. Revised at 1:2500. <9> Pottery kiln site probably 18th century-19th century. The site of the pottery kiln is visible as a oblong mound (15m by 12m) in lidar imagery, it was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP <12>.

Record last edited

Mar 15 2024 3:03PM