Stewartby Brickworks - Feb 2015

Landie_Man · Feb 11, 2015

Nestled in Stewartby, Bedfordshire, around 51 miles from Central London is this former brick making factory.

The factory was situated in the area as that was where the best clay was, and a huge communal workforce lived right next to the factory in purpose built homes.

A bit of History here which has been borrowed

In 1897, B.J. Forder and Son opened a Fletton brickworks at Wootton Pillinge (later to be called Stewartby). The company later merged with several other companies, the main one being the London Brick Company (which had been founded in 1889). By 1936 the London Brick Company was recognised as the largest brickworks in the World, employing 2,000 people and manufacturing over 500 million bricks per year. In 1984, the London Brick Company was taken over by Hanson. In 2005 there were just 230 people employed at the Stewartby brickworks, and only 2 kilns and 3 chimneys in use, producing a total of 135 millions bricks a year.

More than £1 million was spent on Stewartby Brickworks in 2005-7 in an attempt to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions. This attempt was unsuccessful and the brickworks finally closed in February 2008.

A nice explore here. A bit trashed in places but good for its year of closure and a lot to see.

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