It was discovered in 1916 that the shale beds of Kilve beach and the north Somerset coast were rich in oil. The Shaline Company was formed in 1924 by Dr Forbes-Leslie to take advantage of the discovery. The brick-built oil retort house is believed to be the first building to be erected for the conversion of shale to oil. The enterprise never really got off the ground however as the process was found to be too costly to make it profitable.
