Decoy Country Park, Newton Abbot to celebrate ball clay heritage?

Decoy Country Park hoping to enjoy a trip back in time later this year as the district council encourages local people to share in celebrating its fascinating heritage as a ball clay quarry.

Teignbridge District Council is bidding to the Heritage Lottery Fund to try and gain funding for a ‘Ball Clay’ heritage project, which would be run on site at the Country Park and Local Nature Reserve.  It would take place in October 2011, and the council is hoping to work with local schools and The Ball Clay Heritage Society to create a series of events themed around the heritage of the site, to include oral histories from those who worked there and a clay workshop.

To get the Ball Clay project rolling, Teignbridge will be running an informal afternoon drop-in session to gauge local community interest. It takes place at the Discovery Centre at Decoy, opposite the Rangers’ office, on Wednesday 16 February at 2.30-4pm. The council is welcoming anyone who’d like to share their story about the site or find out more about the idea. It is particularly focused at former quarry workers and any local people living in the area at the time. People can drop in during the afternoon

Cllr Anne Fry said:

“Decoy Country Park is a top quality open space with a fascinating past. We’re hoping that we can work with the Heritage Lottery Fund to celebrate Decoy’s heritage and create some new memories for young people.

“In the past with had tremendous success with similar cultural projects, from a taking pupils on a commemorative journey to mark the anniversary of wartime evacuations to transporting Teignmouth back to Victorian times, these events help keep the past alive in our hearts and minds.

“This project is sure to be a fascinating look into Decoy’s past and the importance the area held as a ball clay pit.”