The North Quay Chimney

The North Quay chimney is one of the last visible reminders of a little-known chapter in Hayle’s industrial history – glass making.

The Hayle Glass Works was a short-lived but fascinating chapter in the town’s industrial history. Although it operated for less than a decade, it was an ambitious attempt to establish a new industry in Hayle following the decline of its great foundries and shipbuilding.

The Cornish Glass Works (1917–1919)

The Cornish Glass Works was established in 1917 on North Quay, occupying the site of the former Pentowan Calcining Works, where arsenic had previously been refined from local mining waste. The existing furnace chimney was reused for the new glass-making furnaces.

The company hoped to take advantage of Hayle’s natural resources by using:

  • Fine silica sand from Hayle Towans.
  • China clay waste imported from St Austell.
  • The harbour and railway for transporting raw materials and finished products.

The Pentowan Glass Works (1920–1925)

After the original company closed, the works reopened as the Pentowan Glass Works, continuing production until about 1925. Despite renewed investment, the business struggled to compete with larger, more established glass manufacturers elsewhere in Britain.

What did they make?

The factory mainly produced:

  • Beer bottles
  • Mineral water bottles
  • Dark green and brown glass containers

Unfortunately, the local sand and china clay waste contained relatively high levels of iron. This meant the works could not produce clear glass, only dark-coloured bottles, which limited the potential market. Most of its customers were local breweries, including those in Hayle and Redruth.

Why it failed

Several factors contributed to the closure:

  • The restricted range of products due to the dark colour of the glass.
  • Competition from larger factories producing cheaper bottles.
  • Falling demand after the First World War.
  • Higher production costs in comparison with larger industrial centres.

The North Quay chimney

One of the most recognisable reminders of the works was its tall brick chimney. Although commonly associated with the glass factory, it actually pre-dated the glass works, having originally served the Pentowan Calcining Works. During the glass-making years it was reused to vent the furnace gases before becoming a familiar landmark on North Quay.

Hayle’s changing industries

The Glass Works formed part of a wave of new industries that arrived after Hayle’s great engineering era. Alongside it were:

  • The National Explosives Works at Upton Towans.
  • Hayle Power Station.
  • The ICI bromine works.
  • Oil storage depots on North Quay.

These industries helped keep Hayle’s harbour busy long after Harvey’s Foundry and the Cornish Copper Company had declined.

Did you know?

Although the Hayle Glass Works existed for only around eight years, it was one of the few factories in Cornwall to manufacture glass on a commercial scale. Today almost nothing survives of the works itself, but its story illustrates how Hayle continually reinvented its industrial economy during the early twentieth century.