Coping and Edging bricks
I have started this section off to cover those bricks one finds as coping and edging on bridges, etc.
Thos. Bayley, the brick, tile works & quarry, Great Bridge
Spotted by Phil Shaw on a bridge over the entrance to a disused basin at Smethwick Junction.
R. Bennett, Tamworth
These were found on a bridge over the former Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway just east of Bolsover Tunnel. The copings are about 18"x 6"x6". The railway opened in 1897 so the copings must be original. Photos by Simon Patterson.
Burgoyne
Photo by Lawrence Skuse, The P.P on the Burgoyne coping brick refers to "Pontypool" (from Little Mill, ,Pontypool).
Cakemore brick works & collieries, Rowley Regis, South Staffordshie.
Spotted by Phil Shaw on a bridge over the entrance to a disused basin at Smethwick Junction.
Charles Skelding, Brierley Hill
Charles Skelding, Nager's Field brick works, Brierley Hill, thanks to Velda for the contribution.
Earl of Dudley, Tipton
Found by Frank Lawson in the towpath of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Great Bridge, Tipton
Spotted on the Walsall Canal, thanks to Phil for the photo.
Joseph Hamblett, West Bromwich
Joseph Hamblet founded the Piercy Brickworks in West Bromwich works in 1851 and it came to specialise in blue bricks. They were much in demand in the latter half of the 19th century for railway and other industrial construction.
Some more from the L.D & E.C.R just east of Bolsover Tunnel. They are about 18"x 6"x6". The railway opened in 1897 so the copings must be original. Photos by Simon Patterson.
This was found on a bridge where the L.D.& E.C.R. Beighton branch
line crossed the Midland Clowne branch line. Photo by Simon Patterson.
Jeffrey Carter writes: The enclosed photo is from the lock edge of the newly reopened Droitwich canal. While we, The Coombeswood Canal Trust and BCNS undertook clearance testing with our pair of heritage working narrow boats 'Atlas' and 'Malus' for BW and Droitwich Canal Trust, June 2011.
Joseph King, Stourbridge
Made by Joseph King, Chapel terra cotta works, Netherend, Park Lane, Cradley, West Midlands,
photo by Michael Raybould.
M S & B W
Found by Simon Patterson in Creswell N.E. Derbyshire
Priestley of Whittington
Simon adds this information: From the 1881 census Henry Priestley age 24 brick manufacturer living Sheffield Rd. Whittington. From the 1891 Kelly's Directory for Whittington: Henry Priestly Grocer, Draper and Brickmaker, The Brushes, Whittington.
Victoria Works, Aldridge
This one forms part of the coping to the churchyard wall at Bleasby, Notts, photo by Alan Murray-Rust.
John Walker, Stourbridge.
Spotted by Phil Shaw in a wall at the side of lock No.1 on the Smethwick flight.
T. Walton, Dudley
Photo by Simon Patterson, found in Dudley.
J. Whitehouse, Bloomfield
Spotted by Phil on a towpath bridge on the Walsall Canal
A terra cotta cover for electric cables, made by Baldwin. Thanks to Simon Patterson for the photo.
Not known
This is a a "holed" refractory brick found at the site of a disused ironworks at New Inn, Pontypool by Lawrence Skuse. This is unattributable, but was found with some standard Southwood Jones bricks, and most fire bricks at this site are Southwood Jones, both from Risca and Pontypool. The brick is 9 x 10 x 2 1/4 inches, the holes have a 1 inch bore and go all the way through the brick.