Long-time lurker on this forum so about time I made a report. That said this is my first report so feedback welcome :-)
Brick production at the Clock House Brickworks dates back to 1933 when the Clock House Brick Company Ltd was founded. In 1945 the company was sold to the London Brick Company. Production was increased, in part to the housing boom of the 50’s, and during the 60’s the site was rebuilt to cope with the increased demand. The London Brick Company was acquired by Hanson PLC in the 1980’s and the works was refitted. Clock House was said to be Hanson Brick’s main soft mud production site, producing around 42 million bricks per year.
The site was mothballed in 2009 due to the decline in the construction sector following the 2008 credit crisis. It remained well preserved in 2014.
The site was discussed when Capel village was selected as a possible site for a waste incinerator, locals where not happy and protested in the area and the plan was scrapped.
Pikeys have found their way in which is evident from the amount of copper theft. Also it looks like kids might be using this as a bit of a hang out (more on this later). Apart from this the rest of the machinery and factory is pretty intact and looks like it could be made to work again if needed.
Front of the site
Original Brickworks dating back to 1933 when the Clock House Brick Company Ltd was founded
Rear of the site showing flooded clay pit and brickworks.
Selfie?
Weigh bridge.
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Interesting to see this tractor sitting here. On my last visit in May 2014 this was actually in the clay pit with only the roof visible above the water. So someone is still maintaining this site (to some degree).
Said tractor after someone had gone for a little joy ride and ditched it into the clay pit – May 2014.
Right onwards and inwards…
Brick stamping machine.
Other side of the stamping machine.
Raw material / waste belt?
Pug mill used to mix up the clay / shale.
Rusty knobs.
The office…or what’s left of it.
Room with a view.
Not sure what this was used to move / stack.
Automated brick stacker, the red bags would inflate to push the bricks against the side to lift them.
Chair shot.
Control room shot minus the “security guard”
“Security Guard” present and correct - May 2014
Small kiln to the side of the factory, not sure what this would have been used to fire?
Workshop area
Workshop area
Energy consumption graph for the factory dated December 1998. Impressive consumption hitting 1.2MW peak.
Looking down between the drier (left) and kiln (right).
Store room
Inside the drier. Once bricks had been formed they must be dried out as they would crack due to high water content inside the kiln. This drier is fed from the exhaust from the kiln (and it smells like it to, very sulphurous inside here and filled with rancid water…lovely).
Kiln door, sadly completely sealed no way to get a shot inside.
Looks like the kids have setup a chair swing.
Final stage of production packaging.
Departing shot.
Full Flickr set here.
Brick production at the Clock House Brickworks dates back to 1933 when the Clock House Brick Company Ltd was founded. In 1945 the company was sold to the London Brick Company. Production was increased, in part to the housing boom of the 50’s, and during the 60’s the site was rebuilt to cope with the increased demand. The London Brick Company was acquired by Hanson PLC in the 1980’s and the works was refitted. Clock House was said to be Hanson Brick’s main soft mud production site, producing around 42 million bricks per year.
The site was mothballed in 2009 due to the decline in the construction sector following the 2008 credit crisis. It remained well preserved in 2014.
The site was discussed when Capel village was selected as a possible site for a waste incinerator, locals where not happy and protested in the area and the plan was scrapped.
Pikeys have found their way in which is evident from the amount of copper theft. Also it looks like kids might be using this as a bit of a hang out (more on this later). Apart from this the rest of the machinery and factory is pretty intact and looks like it could be made to work again if needed.
Front of the site
Original Brickworks dating back to 1933 when the Clock House Brick Company Ltd was founded
Rear of the site showing flooded clay pit and brickworks.
Selfie?
Weigh bridge.
Interesting to see this tractor sitting here. On my last visit in May 2014 this was actually in the clay pit with only the roof visible above the water. So someone is still maintaining this site (to some degree).
Said tractor after someone had gone for a little joy ride and ditched it into the clay pit – May 2014.
Right onwards and inwards…
Brick stamping machine.
Other side of the stamping machine.
Raw material / waste belt?
Pug mill used to mix up the clay / shale.
Rusty knobs.
The office…or what’s left of it.
Room with a view.
Not sure what this was used to move / stack.
Automated brick stacker, the red bags would inflate to push the bricks against the side to lift them.
Chair shot.
Control room shot minus the “security guard”
“Security Guard” present and correct - May 2014
Small kiln to the side of the factory, not sure what this would have been used to fire?
Workshop area
Workshop area
Energy consumption graph for the factory dated December 1998. Impressive consumption hitting 1.2MW peak.
Looking down between the drier (left) and kiln (right).
Store room
Inside the drier. Once bricks had been formed they must be dried out as they would crack due to high water content inside the kiln. This drier is fed from the exhaust from the kiln (and it smells like it to, very sulphurous inside here and filled with rancid water…lovely).
Kiln door, sadly completely sealed no way to get a shot inside.
Looks like the kids have setup a chair swing.
Final stage of production packaging.
Departing shot.
Full Flickr set here.
