by Dave Sallery

Always

    Last entry: 01-09-2010. Number of bricks currently featured on this website: 1059

I welcome photographic contributions of named, clearly legible, whole bricks which don't currently feature on this website.  Size at least 500 x 250 pixels and ideally with some information about the history of the brick.

Many years ago, I found a house brick with a name on it - nothing unusual about that, you may think, then I found another and I was hooked.  On this website can be seen some of the fruits(?) of my labours.  My main interest is in the link that these bricks have to a bygone age and the vast variety of names displayed.  Many works had only a short lifetime and little of that was ever recorded.  When the works closed it was probably demolished immediately and the clay pit filled in leaving little or no trace, apart - that is - from the name stamped on the brick, which could turn up years later hundreds of miles from its birthplace.

 I hope that this website helps to stimulate more interest in this fascinating hobby.  I must apologise for the lack of information on some of the bricks displayed - if you can add to the detail please let me know.  On this website there are now over 1000 images, some of which are from the same works but which are subtly different.  I am also very grateful to the other collectors who have contributed to this site, particularly Simon Patterson, Frank Lawson, Andrew Connelly, Tim Lawton, David Kitching, Ian Castledine, Martin Briscoe, Ian Sinclair, Lawrence Skuse, Graham Hague, Steve Kind, Michael Raybould, Joseph Hodgkiss, Michael Hammett, Darrell Prest, A.K.A. Demik , Michaela Brown and Derek Barker.  British bricks were exported all over the world and some recent entries on the site are from Chilean Patagonia and St Petersburg.

Many of the photos were taken in situ which accounts for the lack of clarity in some of the images.

  Because of my location in North Wales there is a separate section for locally produced ones.  The Buckley and Ruabon areas were by far the most important and my web pages reflect this.  

I have only recorded a tiny percentage of those produced and have barely scratched the surface (pun intended!) of what might still be available.

As the pace of change accelerates, these humble reminders of a forgotten past are disappearing at an ever increasing pace - so grab them while you can!  One important plus point - old bricks are free, one important minus point - very few of the bricks you will find will be name stamped.  Happy hunting!

A facing brick from Ruby, near Mold, Flintshire