The History
The London Brick Company, established in 1900, is renowned for its significant role in the British brickmaking industry. In Stewartby, Bedfordshire, the company found its most notable base of operations. Stewartby itself was named after the Stewart family, who were prominent figures in the company’s development. The village of Stewartby was established by the company in the 1920s to house its workers. It became a model village with amenities such as housing, a school, and social facilities, all aimed at improving the quality of life for employees and their families. Stewartby’s brickworks became one of the largest in the world by the mid-20th century, producing over 500 million bricks a year, making it the largest brickworks in the world at that time.
The bricks, characterised by their distinctive yellowish-brown colour, are a result of the local Oxford clay used in their production. The London Brick Company’s products were used in several iconic buildings and structures, including the British Museum, Buckingham Palace's south wing and Battersea Power Station. The industry faced challenges in the latter half of the 20th century, including competition from alternative building materials and environmental regulations. Despite these challenges, the Stewartby site continued production until 2008, when it finally closed due to the costs of meeting new environmental standards related to emissions.
The Explore
As I made my way into the site I immediately saw two people in all black running right towards me shouting as they did. I realised they were fellow explorers as they told me they were getting chased by the secca, they also pointed out a safer entry just a little ways away. Once I was safely on the site I made my way through the brick pit although I initially was exploring under it but decided against going to far in as there were bricks hanging from the ceiling and I even saw one drop randomly. From there I rotated over to the smaller buildings around the site a few of which still had relics from the past like brick samples, files and equipment. One of my favourite parts was the large warehouse which unfortunately did have some fire damage on the second floor but was still very fun to climb on and see.
From there I wanted to make my way to the largest remaining building which required me to jump over gates and run over train tracks which I was unsure about but no one came over even though cameras definitely saw me. When I reached the main factory I heard voices so I proceeded quietly climbing onto the third floor on the opposite side of the building. As I made my way around I eventually had to fully climb over the roof to not have to walk through the main open bit. Unfortunately at this exact time the two other people there walked out and saw me clambering about in a mask and cap. Thankfully they too were just exploring and waved at me before carrying on. I spent another hour on one of the few terraces overlooking the rolling hills as the sun set providing a golden hue over the site.
Eventually I made my way back over the rails and out of the site, I treated myself to a dominoes before I made the long journey home to London. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it even though from what I understand much of the site has been knocked down including the chimneys. There was a surprising amount of bricks though!
- Odin
The London Brick Company, established in 1900, is renowned for its significant role in the British brickmaking industry. In Stewartby, Bedfordshire, the company found its most notable base of operations. Stewartby itself was named after the Stewart family, who were prominent figures in the company’s development. The village of Stewartby was established by the company in the 1920s to house its workers. It became a model village with amenities such as housing, a school, and social facilities, all aimed at improving the quality of life for employees and their families. Stewartby’s brickworks became one of the largest in the world by the mid-20th century, producing over 500 million bricks a year, making it the largest brickworks in the world at that time.
The bricks, characterised by their distinctive yellowish-brown colour, are a result of the local Oxford clay used in their production. The London Brick Company’s products were used in several iconic buildings and structures, including the British Museum, Buckingham Palace's south wing and Battersea Power Station. The industry faced challenges in the latter half of the 20th century, including competition from alternative building materials and environmental regulations. Despite these challenges, the Stewartby site continued production until 2008, when it finally closed due to the costs of meeting new environmental standards related to emissions.
The Explore
As I made my way into the site I immediately saw two people in all black running right towards me shouting as they did. I realised they were fellow explorers as they told me they were getting chased by the secca, they also pointed out a safer entry just a little ways away. Once I was safely on the site I made my way through the brick pit although I initially was exploring under it but decided against going to far in as there were bricks hanging from the ceiling and I even saw one drop randomly. From there I rotated over to the smaller buildings around the site a few of which still had relics from the past like brick samples, files and equipment. One of my favourite parts was the large warehouse which unfortunately did have some fire damage on the second floor but was still very fun to climb on and see.
From there I wanted to make my way to the largest remaining building which required me to jump over gates and run over train tracks which I was unsure about but no one came over even though cameras definitely saw me. When I reached the main factory I heard voices so I proceeded quietly climbing onto the third floor on the opposite side of the building. As I made my way around I eventually had to fully climb over the roof to not have to walk through the main open bit. Unfortunately at this exact time the two other people there walked out and saw me clambering about in a mask and cap. Thankfully they too were just exploring and waved at me before carrying on. I spent another hour on one of the few terraces overlooking the rolling hills as the sun set providing a golden hue over the site.
Eventually I made my way back over the rails and out of the site, I treated myself to a dominoes before I made the long journey home to London. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it even though from what I understand much of the site has been knocked down including the chimneys. There was a surprising amount of bricks though!
- Odin
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