China Clay pipeline

Red Lake lies in the heart of the Southern Moor. There is a distinctive landmark - the overgrown spoil tip of the China Clay works that started working in 1910 but had failed by 1933 as the best clay was by then extracted. Clay was hosed out from a deep pit and the slurry was transported via pumps to settling beds at Greenhill (Brown Heath) about a mile away. After a week or so of settling the sluices were opened and the clay in suspension flowed down pipes some 7 miles to the clay processing works at Cantrell near Ivybridge. The unwanted sand and gravel was loaded into trucks at Red Lake which were then tipped onto the waste tip that we see today. There was a railway which ran alongside the clay pipes that led down to Cantrell. This was only used for moving people (up to 100), coal and basic materials up to Red lake and took sand and fertiliser back to Cantrell. It is popularly known as the Puffing Billy track - (although on the map it is named The Two Moors way). The railway was of 3ft gauge and small steam engines pulled 3 passenger carriages and a range of trucks.

Only the trackway remains - the rails are long gone. The clay pipeline was constructed from local materials and carefully followed the contours back to the Cantrell railhead. It is usually buried below the surface but across some streambeds a bridge was made to take the pipes. Then it is easy to spot the pipeline. The pipeline was laid near the railway but it does diverge in places since a distinct gradient was always needed to ensure that the slurry flowed properly via gravity. (If you want to see the line of the pipeway then the aerial view from Google Earth is very effective. )

There's limited roadside parking near Cantrell at SX 659571. From here you pass through the gate and you are straightaway on the remains of the start of the railway. Basically you just follow the line of the railway as far as you want to go. Although the going is level it is longer than it might at first seem. This walk has lots of contrast ranging from the bracken covered slopes of Cantrell through to the lonely wastes of Red Lake. The atmosphere changes as well. It is an excellent introduction to the southern moor.

This is a long walk of over 16 miles if you get to Red Lake. Owing to the distinct nature of the track you are hardly likely to get lost even in the mist. Walking is pretty straightforward too - although parts of the track can get very wet. The trackway is quite popular with locals on the weekend. No Army ranges to worry about.

	This is where the railway turntable and the drum house for the cable incline were situated at Cantrell - SX 657571.
	Remains of the incline where freight destined for the Red Lake railway was hauled up by cable powered by a steam engine. Western Beacon on the skyline.
	The china clay pipeworks lie just under the surface but the line of the pipeway is clearly seen.
	The trackway enters a slight cutting - SX 650580
	The trackway on the SW slopes of Western Beacon.
	An inspection cover and air duct for the buried china clay pipeline
	Following the line of the trackway beside Weatherdown Hill - SX 648590. Hangershell rock in the distance.
	Spurrell's Cross - SX 659 599. This medieval cross marks where the Monks’ route from Buckfast Abbey to Plympton Priory met the Wrangaton to Erme Pound track. The cross has been repaired with a 20th century shaft.
	A pool at SX 658601
	Hobajon's Cross - SX 655605. This may be a late medieval replacement for a larger cross that stood here before 1530.
	Longstone - SX 654607
	Part of the Two Moors way. This is the trackway of the"Puffing Billy" railway that went from Bittaford to Red lake.
	The china clay pipeline on the western slope of Sharp Tor - SX 648618. You can clearly see the 2 pipelines encased in a rough cut concrete.
	The inspection manhole and air duct at Sharp Tor.
	Some remnants of the red lake railway. There's a few pieces of the railway track embedded in the concrete.
	Leftlake Bridge
	The line of the trackway at SX 644642.
	The trackway curving around in a cutting around the edge of Brown Heath.
	The trackway as it approaches its destination at Red Lake.
	This is the railhead at Red Lake. This is where the train would stop, passengers step down and the goods taken off.
	The spoil tip at Red Lake (SX 646669). In the 1920's this would have been a hugely busy place with up to 100 workers extracting the clay out of the deposits here.
	The southerly view from the top of Red lake. Just behind one of the water filled excavations tou can see the line of the railway track as it crosses from Brown Heath on the far hillside.
	Remains of the workmen's hostel at Red Lake - SX 646667
	A big settling pit where the "micas" would settle to the bottom of the pit over the course of a few days and then the rest of the china clay still in suspension would be tipped over into the china clay pipeline.
	Remains of the Brown Heath settling tanks. Near to this complex would be the start of the china clay pipeline.
	Broken parts of the china clay pipeline as it bridged a small stream at SX 653651. These tubes were made at the Candy tileworks near Bovey Tracey.
	Another example of a bridge carrying the china clay pipeline at SX 652645 on the slopes of Quickbeam Hill.
	Another exposed section of the pipeline at SX 645639
	The settling beds at Leftlake SX 646633
	The trackway near Sharp Tor. There's a slight incline here so the pipeline moves away from the railtrack and goes around the hillside following the contours.
	The trackway on Pile Hill at SX 653610. There's a couple of cairns nearby.