We went for a walk down to a nearby cove at the weekend. Sitting at the base of the cliff I noticed a trickle of water running out over the bed rock. On closer inspection the rock seemed to be decomposing. It looked like clay.
Clay is decomposed rock particularly associated with granite, there are two main types, primary and secondary clay. Secondary clay is by far the most common and usually has a low firing temperature. Primary clay is more pure, found at the source of decomposition and more resilient to heat. Could this be a primary clay? It would be exciting if it is as primary clays are very useful if you work with stoneware. Tests will tell.
I made a little pinch pot to test the plasticity and took a sample back to the studio encased between two limpet shells.