Bewdley English Made Clay Pipe - Nelson Churchwarden

Long clay pipes were favoured among many smokers, thanks to the long shank and snaps to the stem would not stop the pipe being smoke able. The classic mid 1880’s style bowl holds enough tobacco for a 20-30 minute smoke. Like meerschaum, clay pipes give one of the cleanest and driest smokes around, thanks to the highly porous nature of unsealed (fired) clay. The tip has been dipped in a  paint, to prevent the pipe from sticking to the smokers lips. 

Clay pipes were first introduced into the UK during the 1500’s, when tobacco was first brought back from the new world. What started off as practical design soon changed over the coming centuries, from classic cutty’s to elegantly designed models. The shape and bowl size fluctuated over this time, due to availability and cost of tobacco.

At the more recent end of the British clay pipe market, Pollocks was one of the biggest names. Started in Manchester by John Pollock back in 1879 and over the coming years, Pollocks clays were made to celebrate coronations, national events and famous faces. Sadly Gordon Pollock wound up the company in 1992, selling all the moulds and tools to Wilsons of Sharrow. Who then ceased production back in 2011.

These clays are genuine Pollocks clays, made around 30+ years ago and still in the original packaging. 

Ww have recently received over 150 Bewdley Clay pipes, these were made by John Griffiths in the heart of England. John Griffith's unfortunately passed away in recent years but we were contacted by his son who kindly sold us the remainder of his work. John was a master craftsman and was passionate about pipe smoking and his pottery hobby. He started making clay pipes as a hobby and to sell in his sweet shop in Bewdley. The success of his clay pipes turned his hobby in to a full time career and he ended up making thousands of clay pipes in his time. His work was truly wonderful and he developed clay pipes in hundreds of different shapes and sizes. The production of clay pipes is a dying art these are some of the last UK made clay pipes available in the world.