APPENDIX A:
(F) Lowood’s Ganister and Brickworks
Located to the west of Deepcar, Lowood’s Ganister and Brickworks were a long established refractory brick producer. Initially the site of a chemical works, it was taken over by John Grayson Lowood in 1860 to become Lowoods Gannister and Brick Works (latterly General Refractories) and included a ganister mine and refractory works. Producing a variety of bricks, the business was registered on the 1st July 1890. Exhibiting a variety of silica and ganister blocks at the Antwerp trade fare of 1894, they had the honour of winning the gold medal.
An old advert showing off their wares:
An incredible set of black and white pictures show the factory still in full swing production wise in 1954 can be found HERE. Archive | Stocksbridge & District History Society The exact date of closure is hard to find. However, all the buildings relating to the brickworks were demoed between 1980 and 1990. The site has sat cleared and unused until 2020, when Bloor Homes submitted plans for 430 new dwellings on the brownfield site, which was given the go-ahead in May that year. Plans were initially approved back in 2016 but needed reapproval after changes to the plan were made.
Currently, the initial ground preparation is well underway with contractors on site. At the back of the site in the hillside below the former Deepcar railway station are the only remnants of the works in the shape of two former ganister mine adits which have been bricked up a short way in. Allowing the supply of ganister directly to the works, these will probably both be lost very shortly as work continues.
The top adit entrance with former factory wall ends to the left:
A small recess:
Soon ending in breeze-blocked wall with ventilation pipe:
Looking back out:
Down the slope and to the left, the second larger adit entrance:
A pair of old miner’s boots?
In we go:
Small alcove, not big enough for a person:
Soon ends in breeze-blocked wall with built in ventilation pipes:
Looking back out:
(F) Lowood’s Ganister and Brickworks
Located to the west of Deepcar, Lowood’s Ganister and Brickworks were a long established refractory brick producer. Initially the site of a chemical works, it was taken over by John Grayson Lowood in 1860 to become Lowoods Gannister and Brick Works (latterly General Refractories) and included a ganister mine and refractory works. Producing a variety of bricks, the business was registered on the 1st July 1890. Exhibiting a variety of silica and ganister blocks at the Antwerp trade fare of 1894, they had the honour of winning the gold medal.
An old advert showing off their wares:
An incredible set of black and white pictures show the factory still in full swing production wise in 1954 can be found HERE. Archive | Stocksbridge & District History Society The exact date of closure is hard to find. However, all the buildings relating to the brickworks were demoed between 1980 and 1990. The site has sat cleared and unused until 2020, when Bloor Homes submitted plans for 430 new dwellings on the brownfield site, which was given the go-ahead in May that year. Plans were initially approved back in 2016 but needed reapproval after changes to the plan were made.
Currently, the initial ground preparation is well underway with contractors on site. At the back of the site in the hillside below the former Deepcar railway station are the only remnants of the works in the shape of two former ganister mine adits which have been bricked up a short way in. Allowing the supply of ganister directly to the works, these will probably both be lost very shortly as work continues.
The top adit entrance with former factory wall ends to the left:
A small recess:
Soon ending in breeze-blocked wall with ventilation pipe:
Looking back out:
Down the slope and to the left, the second larger adit entrance:
A pair of old miner’s boots?
In we go:
Small alcove, not big enough for a person:
Soon ends in breeze-blocked wall with built in ventilation pipes:
Looking back out:
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