Introduction
Stewartby Brickworks
Stewartby Brickworks
After many a weekends of monotonous lockdown, me and my friend caved to the idea of a little explore up the country for the day. Starting at the great time of 7am, we set off to bedford after only a couple
hours of planning the day before and £30 in petrol (and a new camera but we'll gloss over that). Closing in on the destination, we see the great chimneys and am met with a feeling I hadn't know in quite a while.
Anxiety. For the first time in a while, I felt anxious about an explore. We arrive in Bedford and feel out of place, but trudge onwards until we happen upon an unncertain entrance. So begins our story!
History
hours of planning the day before and £30 in petrol (and a new camera but we'll gloss over that). Closing in on the destination, we see the great chimneys and am met with a feeling I hadn't know in quite a while.
Anxiety. For the first time in a while, I felt anxious about an explore. We arrive in Bedford and feel out of place, but trudge onwards until we happen upon an unncertain entrance. So begins our story!
History
Based in Stewartby (the former Wooten farm settlements), a town was built around the ideals of the Stewart Family and their London Brickworks identity. Within this newly-renamed village, Stewartby Brickworks was born and ultimately built. As an extension to Pulborough's brick making at Fletton Brick in 1898, new brick works started popping up in the (then) Wooten settlements such as yours truely. London Brickworks then merged with the extension brick works in 1936, subsequently renaming the Wooten to Stewartby and thus Stewartby Brickworks was born! Around the brickworks, and entire village was formally built which enabled a larger workforce which resulted in expansion of the works which meant more income, which meant more housing. I think you get the picture! Eventually Stewartby Brickworks grew to provide as much as 20% of England's bricks by the 1970s, or 500 million bricks annually! Not only that, but the brickworks had both 167 brick chimneys and the largest kiln in the world (up to that point).
What goes up, must (unfortunately) come down. New regulations began to be established within the early 2000s, detailing a necessity to lower emission such as Sulphur Dioxide, as so began the downfall of the British Brick giant. The brickworks found itself struggling against high sulfur dioxide emissions, spending as much as £1.2 million on emission regulation strategies, which ultimately ended up failing. Ultimately, the redevelopment costs became uneconomical for Hanson, the then-owners of the brickworks and such the Brick works was officially decommissioned and closed in May of 2008. Instantly, demolition works began, leaving only 4 of the potential 167 chimneys standing. Luckily however, the last remaining chimneys where saved from they undue end when they where listed for preservation by the Bedfordshire Council, such to commemorate the incredible tale that is Stewartby's brick roots!
Exploration
Overall, the explore at this place was phenomenal. Definetly one of the greats of England dare I say! This part of the report will be broken into two pieces as I simply have too many photos of my 4 hour romp. The first of these two parts are of the kilns and the first hopper-less building I encountered. To say this was an explore would be an understatement, we trudged around the whole perimeter poking for ways in, going in totally cold in what we thought may have been heavily guarded. Eventually, after doing more jumping than I would have liked, we ended up towards the rear of the whole sight looking in. Ill let the pictures do the talking.
Warning PIC HEAVY!!!
And so concludes part 1 of the explore (for now atleast, until I go back again)
And so concludes part 1 of the explore (for now atleast, until I go back again)
