by Dave Sallery

    Last entry: 15-05-2012.  Number of bricks currently featured on this website: 1696

April 2012, new names:  Butterknowle, Carcey, Ceipel, T Charlton, Daubhill, East Hetton Colliery, France Hindley, Haslingden Plastic, Hulme Plastic, Knowles Holcombe Brook, Northern Summerseat, Patrick & Brownlie (Scotland), Scarborough, S. U. B., J Sharp, Staffordshire, Star Cwmbran, T A & Co, Tomlinson Summerseat, Tunwell, Vogrie (Scotland), W. C. M.

May 2012, new names: Crail (Scotland), D. K. C. C., Doulton Rowley Regis (coping), Mossite1, Park Brick Newtown (Welsh), R. B. F. (Ram Building Fund, India), Reddish Beighton, S. B., Stanleys.

Got a brick you want the world to know about?

I welcome photographic contributions of named, clearly legible, whole bricks which don't currently feature on this website.  Size at least 500 x 230 pixels and ideally with some information about the history of the brick.

Please do not send photos of bricks which differ only marginally from examples already on the website.

Many years ago, I found a house brick with a name on it - nothing unusual about that, you may think, then I found another and I was hooked.  On this website can be seen some of the fruits(?) of my labours.  My main interest is in the link that these bricks have to a bygone age and the vast variety of names displayed.  Many works had only a short lifetime and little of that was ever recorded.  When the works closed it was probably demolished immediately and the clay pit filled in, leaving little or no trace, apart - that is - from the name stamped on the brick, which could turn up years later hundreds of miles from its birthplace.

 I hope that this website helps to stimulate more interest in this fascinating hobby.  I must apologise for the lack of information on some of the bricks displayed - if you can add to the detail please let me know.  On this website there are now over 1500 images, some of which are from the same works but which are subtly different.  I am also very grateful to other collectors who have contributed to this site, particularly: 

A.K.A. Demik, Brotherglyn, Derek Barker, John Biggs, Martin Briscoe, Christine Brown, Michaela Brown, Ian Castledine, Andrew Connelly, Eric Flack, Martyn Fretwell, Graham Hague, Michael Hammett, Darren Haywood, , Joseph Hodgkiss, Steve Kind, David Kitching, Frank Lawson, Tim Lawton, Richard Paterson, Simon Patterson, John Pease, Darrell Prest, Michael Raybould, George Simpson, Ian Sinclair and Lawrence Skuse.

The website is intended to be lightweight with an emphasis on variety.  It's not an academic exercise intended to cover each and every works and design of brick.  There is no database or master index.  Primarily it is a celebration of names and should be read as such.

          British bricks were exported all over the world and there are entries on the site from Chilean Patagonia, the Adriatic and St Petersburg.  There is even a photo of a brick at the bottom of the Adriatic Sea!  The site also features photos of named bricks made in Russia, U.S.A., France, China and the French penal colony in South America.

Many of the photos were taken in situ which accounts for the lack of clarity in some of the images.  Because of my location in North Wales there is a separate section for locally produced ones.  The Buckley and Ruabon areas were by far the most important and my web pages reflect this.  

I have so far only recorded a tiny percentage of those produced and have barely scratched the surface (pun intended!) of what might still be available.  As the pace of change accelerates, these humble reminders of a forgotten past are disappearing at an ever increasing pace - so grab them while you can!  One important plus point - old bricks are free, one important minus point - very few of the bricks you find will be name stamped.  Happy hunting!

A glazed brick discovered during renovation work at Carnforth station. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING COPYRIGHT

The information (not photographs) held within this website may be reproduced without permission if the website is credited with providing this information.   All of the photographs held on this website remain the property of the owners and must NOT be reproduced without prior permission.