Hoffman kiln

A Hoffman kiln is a type of kiln circular in plan and designed for the continuous production of bricks. The kiln was divided into many chambers, usually about a dozen, and each chamber in turn was loaded with ‘green’ bricks which were dried, burnt, cooled and removed chamber by chamber so that a batch of new brick was produced every day. The heat from the continuously burning furnace was directed by means of a system of ducts and flues to pre-heating and firing. The waste heat from a chamber which was cooling was used to help in drying the green bricks which had just been loaded into another chamber. (Brunskill 1990)