Handmade Clay Tiles in Bedfordshire
Handmade Clay Tiles
Why are handmade clay tiles so popular?
Everything today seems so clinical and precise. This is why so many now seek out the more traditional items for their properties.
Even the log burner is seeing a return after many years of gas central heating; such is the appetite for the bygone era. Handmade clay tiles are no different. Many do not want the sharp, uniform edges that mass produced clay tiles may have, they want the aged, textured patina of a quality handmade clay tile to finish their property. But how are the handmade clay tiles made?
After being dug from the ground, often locally, the clay used to make the roof tiles has to be weathered for around nine months to a year.
The weathered clay is then ground into fine particles with water added to make the clay workable. At this stage, previously fired clay pieces that have been ground down are added to help reduce shrinking, cracking and warping during the firing process. This also naturally adds texture to the finished handmade clay tile.
Historically, handmade clay tiles would have been hand thrown into the mould before being finished. However, nowadays they are more often mechanically pressed either by hand or by using a hydraulic press to ensure a more consistent density and to speed up the production, but even then, they are still essentially handmade clay tiles.
The handmade clay tiles are then handled and dried in several ways to create the different character variations of shape and colour. The shape is created either by hand or machine and the colour can be varied by adding different oxides. Many different textures and colours can be achieved by adding these oxides to the handmade clay tiles prior to firing.
Even the temperature variations within the kiln can lead to variations in colour, with a higher temperature resulting in a much darker finished tile. No matter what colour or texture you choose, a high quality handmade clay tile will make your property stand out from the crowd.
A little information about Bedfordshire
Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire
Woburn Safari Park is a very popular safari park that is in Woburn, Bedfordshire. Visitors to the Bedfordshire Park can drive through many different exhibits, which contain species such as southern white rhino, elephants, tigers and black bears. It is part of the estates of the Duke of Bedford that also includes Woburn Abbey and its 3,000-acre deer park. The Safari Park itself covers 360 acres.
History of the Bedfordshire Safari Park
Woburn Safari Park was opened in 1970, when it was established by the 13th Duke of Bedford and Jimmy Chipperfield, the famous circus empresario, on the grounds of his estate, Woburn Abbey. This was done to help improve the financial position of the Bedfordshire estate and restore the Abbey, which had fallen into disrepair because of the second world war and relatively high post-war tax rates. The 11th Duke of Bedford had been president of the Zoological Society of London and had introduced various species such as American bison, deer, antelope, lion and tiger to the park.
Starting with upgrades to the wolf facilities in 2004, which allowed the wolves overnight access to the outside enclosure they share with the Bedfordshire parks North American black bears, the park had spent about £4 million by 2010 to upgrade off-show animal facilities in the park. The Antelope House was built in 2007 to help conservation efforts with hoofed mammals.
The Asian Elephant Conservation Centre, built to house the Bedfordshire parks' Asian elephants, opened in 2008. It was followed in 2009 by a new facility for housing the Southern white rhinos and other hoofed animals, as well as an upgrade to the giraffe house that doubled its size.
Conservation at the Bedfordshire Safari Park
The Bedfordshire Park is committed to animal conservation and is involved in international breeding programs to help save endangered species and includes one of the world's largest hoof stock facilities. The facility is known as the African Ungulate Conservation Centre, and the Bedfordshire Park also has an Asian elephant facility. The Bedfordshire based Safari Park has also done particularly well in breeding the Rothschild giraffe. These animals are quite rare in the wild, but Woburn has managed to develop a healthy stock of the animals. The park is also home to the endangered Pere David's deer.
The Bedfordshire Park manages the breeding programme for the Mountain Bongo. Woburn Safari Park is also the only zoo in the United Kingdom to hold Vietnamese Sika Deer, a species that is sadly now extinct in the wild.
The deer park in the heart of Bedfordshire
Woburn Safari Park, when combined with the acreage of the deer park which surrounds the safari park, it represents the largest conservation facility in Europe and the first captive breeding facility to rescue a species from extinction in the wild with its success with the Pere David deer. Woburn was also instrumental in saving the Mongolian Wild Horse.
Products available from Heritage Clay Tiles Ltd in East Sussex
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Handmade Clay Tiles in West Sussex
Handmade Roof Tiles in West Sussex
High Quality Roof Tiles in West Sussex
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Products available from Heritage Clay Tiles Ltd in Bedfordshire
Clay Roof Tiles in Bedfordshire
Handmade Roof Tiles in Bedfordshire
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Further Information
If you would like to know more or are interested in a quote we would be happy to help. Phone us on 01634 471 344, email us at sales@heritagetiles.co.uk and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
