Various items of clay pipe kiln furniture were uncovered within the footprint of the clay pipe factory. These pieces were used to support and separate pipes during firing within the kiln.

A series of props formed a central spine within the muffle chamber, seperated by circular domed plates known as buns. The props and buns were bonded together with roughly formed wads of pipeclay. During firing, pipe stems rested on the outer edges of the buns, and the bowls were supported on shelves around the inner face of the muffle. Rolls of pipeclay were placed between groups of stems and thin sheets of clay were applied over each layer to secure the pipes and prevent them from sticking together.

The factory was established by Joseph Smith in 1780 and subsequently owned by James Clarke from 1810, William Needes from 1833, John Russell from 1834, and Joseph Sants from 1835. Under Sants, the business was Bath’s principle clay tobacco pipe manufacturer, suppplying pipes across Somerset and beyond. The factory closed in 1851 and was demolished around 1859 to make way for a playground for Blue Coat School.