In its heyday over a hundred people worked at the brick and tile works, with many of the skilled craftsmen and their families living in specially built cottages on nearby Golden Ball lane. With business thriving, a tramway was built in 1899 to carry clay from the new clay pits at the southern end of the site to the main works. Remnants of this tramway can be seen on the island in the big pond to this day.
Woodland wildlife
After closure of the pits in 1968 the site has been colonised by birch woodland with frequent oak, ash and grey willow. Ground flora is very variable throughout the site with many of the open areas of concrete rubble and brick piles being especially rich in floral diversity.
The most notable plants to be found are silverweed, marsh thistle and perforate St.John’s-wort. Common spotted orchid is also locally frequent. Many common hoverflies can also be seen, as well as the Amber-listed green woodpecker and Red-listed marsh tit.