Potash pit
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Potash pits were kiln sites which were dug and lined with drystone walling for the production of potash prior to the Industrial Revolution. The scouring or degreasing of the natural lanolin from wool requires the application of soft soap produced using fat and an alkaline potash solution[1] that contains water-soluble potassium salts such as potassium carbonate and potassium hydroxide.[2]
The potash pit was a basic stone lined ashery in which hardwoods such as birch wood or bracken were burned to produce ashes which were then placed in a copper cauldron manufactured from strips of copper and boiled together with water and quicklime.[1] The alkaline solution produced by the ashes and added quicklime could be filtered to remove particles and once the required alkalinity was reached fats were added to produce a soft soap for the scouring or degreasing of the wool as a vital step in the production of wool for spinning into yarn.
Location
Construction
The often circular pits were built often into earthen banks and were lined with drystone walling. A tunnel fireplace was required to draw in the air for the burning conversion of the birch, bracken, etc. into ashes, used for heating the cauldron as well as the source of the potash.[1]
