Made by Harry Hand at Whaddon near Salisbury. Photo and info by Andrew Poole.
Photos by Frank Lawson.
Photo by Bluebelle Cluckington.
Photographed at Derby Silk Mill Museum by Martyn Fretwell.
Wharncliffe Woodmoor Colliery, Carlton, Royston, South Yorkshire. Closed 1966. 'A brickyard associated with the colliery produced some 50,000 bricks a week' - A Hill, The South Yorkshire Coalfield, 2001. Other bricks from this site stamped WOODMOOR and W M. Image PRBCO.
Photo by Frank Lawson.
John Thomas Wharton of Skelton Castle, the local landowner and proprietor of Carrs Tilery at Margrove Park. Carrs Tilery operated from 1867 until 1879, it produced land drains, pipes, tiles and bricks used by the Skelton Estate and the local ironstone mines. It is also believed the works produced the bricks for the houses at Margrove Park. Photos and info from Frank Lawson. For further information visit the hidden-teesside website.
Photo by Hitman, Flickr - CC BY-NC 2.0.
Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection. Martyn Fretwell adds: In the 1916 edition of Kelly's Directory, Wharton & Chambers are recorded at Hodgkinson Road, Kirkby in Ashfield, Notts.
Operational between 1878 and c.1900 the Wheal Grey Clay and Brickworks were located near the village of Gremoe in Cornwall. The W.A on the bricks stands for the owner and manager William Argall who built a Scrivener kiln here in 1878 and operated the works until his retirement in 1893 when the leases were acquired by Messrs. Holman, Harvey and Thomas, who in turn were bought out by Lovering & Co. Info by Lyn Bostock, photo by Jeremy Nutter.
Wheatly & Co. are listed in Kellys 1896 to 1940 editions at
Springfield Tileries, Newcastle, Staffs. This works had been
established by the Wheatly family in 1819. Kellys 1872 to 1884
editions records Wheatly & Cooper at the Springfield works.
Wheatly & Co. continued to operate the Springfield works after
the last trade directory entry until it was taken over by Daniel
Platt in 1978. Wheatly & Co. are also listed as operating a
second works at Cobridge, Burslem in Kellys 1892 edition. More info at this Link. Info and photo by Martyn Fretwell.
Photo by David Kitching.
This works was near Chesterfield and was in operation by 1896, thanks to Simon Patterson for the photo.
It is thought this brick was made at Whitwick Colliery brickworks while under the ownership of Joseph Whetstone or his brother William Whetstone between 1860 & 1878 Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
The Whetty Brick & Tile Co. Rednal, Birmingham is listed in Kelly's 1908, 12 & 16 editions. Photo by Colin Wooldridge from the John Cooksey Collection & Info by Martyn Fretwell.
Photo by David Kitching.
Photos by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.
Photo by Jason Stott.
Photos by David Kitching.
Photo by Jud Hirst.
Photos by Jason Stott.
Photos by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.
Found in Burnley by Pat Woolven.
Photo by Bill Duff.
Bricks were made at Pool Bank and Horsforth from 1881 marked B W S or Horsforth. In 1901 Benjamin Whitaker had a branch at Peak/Ravenscar where bricks marked B W S and Ravenscar can be found. By 1923 B Whitaker & sons (1923) Ltd had works in Bramley, Horsforth, Holbeck and Kirkstall and owned the Leeds Patent Brick Co. and Huncoat Plastic Brick & Terracota Co. in Accrington. An Elland Road site had been opened by 1929 with bricks marked Whitaker/Elland Road/ Leeds. The commonly seen red facing bricks marked Whitaker/ Leeds were probably made at Elland Road. Soothill Brickworks, Woodkirk was owned by 1949 and the company is last listed in a telephone directory of 1971. Info PRBCO.
Michael Hammett writes: This is from B. Whitaker & Sons Ltd, Elland Road Brickworks, Leeds. They used Lower Coal measure Clay (below Beeston coal). Photo by Frank Lawson.
Photo by Malcolm Holt.
Photo by David Kitching.
Photos by Frank Lawson.
Photo by David Fox.
Photo by Jason Stott.
Benjamin Whitaker Jnr., Lyons Street Brick Works, Sheffield:
White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham 1905. Photo and
info by Frank Lawson.
Photo by Andrew Richards.
Benjamin Whitaker & Sons, Ravenscar Brickworks, Ravenscar, North Yorks. The brickworks was owned by Whitakers of Leeds and opened soon after 1900. It closed in the 1930s. Photo by Chris Cooper.
Photo by Ken Evans.
Clifford White & Co, are listed in Kellys 1922 to 1937 editions
at West Mersea, Colchester & Weeley, Clacton on Sea. It appears
Clifford White was a builder, brickmaker, shop owner, draper,
builders merchant, timber merchant & undertaker, so a bit of an
allrounder. Photos of the two works at this Link. Info & Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
John Bazley White is listed at Erith, Kent in Kelly’s 1882 & 1891 directories. Photos by courtesy of the Richard Symonds collection.
Robert White, Lady's Bridge, Wicker & Brightside Lane,
Sheffield: Directory & Topography of Sheffield 1862. Photos
and info by Frank Lawson.
Photos by Chris Graham.
These are almost certainly a product of the earlier Whitehaven Firebrick Company and made between the 1850s and the 1870s. The later Whitehaven Brick & Tile Works (see below) was opened on the same site in 1912. Info and photo by Ian Suddaby.
Opened in 1912 on the site of the former Whitehaven Firebrick Co. Kelly's trade directory 1921 - 1929 lists The Whitehaven Brick & Tile Co Ltd, Low Road, Whitehaven. Photo by Chris Graham.
Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.
Found on Seascale beach by Sam Gary, note the reversed E.
Photo by Ian Suddaby.
Henry Whitehead is recorded in Kelly's trade directory for 1893 and the 1901 directory of clayworkers at Newport, East Yorkshire with a depot at Great Union Street, Hull. There were a number of brickworks at Newport and Henry Whitehead was also recorded as a coal merchant there in 1891. By 1901 he is listed as a coal merchant in Hull. This brick was found on the beach at Withernsea. Photo by Dave Cunningham.
G. T. Whitfield opened his brickworks on Robins Wood Hill, Tuffley, Gloucester, in the early 1890s. It was closed by the 1950s.
Richard Heckels Nesbit of Cramlington opened up his brickworks at the edge of Whitley Quarry, Hill Heads 1875. He had made his fortune working in the goldfields of Australia and New Zealand. By 1889 the brickworks were exhausted and the site was landscaped to form an area called West Park. Photo by Philipic Knowles.
Robin Hill, Machine Brick Works Rochdale Rd, office 2 Dunbar St, Oldham 1870s - 1915. Emmanuel and Whitworth Whittaker were both builders of some importance. They were probably cousins. They were living in adjacent houses on Rochdale Road in 1881 very close to the brickworks. I believe that Emmanuel and Whitworth ran the Robin Hill works to provide bricks for their building businesses. Emmanuel died in 1885 with Thomas and Whitworth Whittaker as executors. In the 1891 census Whitworth describes himself as a Master brick maker and builder. The works was still there in 1915 but had disappeared by 1930. Photo by David Fox.
John Whittaker, Oldham Road, Royton. Worrall's Directory of Oldham, 1879. Found in Oldham. Photo by David Kitching.
Photo by Jason Stott.
also see entry for N.C.B. Whitwick.
Whitwick Colliery was in Coalville, Leicestershire. This
brick was found near Rhyl station
so its a case of the railway being used to import bricks from far
afield.
Spotted in Wigston, Leicester by Alex Betteney.
Found in Worksop by Simon Patterson.
Photos by Frank Lawson.
Photo by David Kitching.
Photo by Andrew Morley.
Photo by Richard Symonds.
Photo by Phil Burgoyne.
Found near the old water tower at Roade, Northants. Photos by Nigel Furniss.
This is an example of why it is worth looking closely at bricks in case the name pressed in is very faint. Richard Thorpe photographed this example which actually says "WHITWICK COLLIERY CO LD COALVILLE".
Found at Peggs Green, Leicestershire by Sandra Dillon.
The Whiwait Brick Company Limited was formed in 1931 by Charles Aaron Weight and the works established on land off Neachells Lane in Willenhall. The name was chosen rather than Whiweight so that it was short enough to fit into the frog of the bricks in large lettters. The 14 kilns were fired with coal mined on site and the bricks were made using the pit shale. Production lasted for about 15 years after which the site was sold off in small parcels. Photo by Angel Rose.
Wigan Coal & Iron Co Ltd used the star emblem on their products and wagons. This brick was found in Haigh Plantations, Haigh, Wigan. Lord Crawford owned Haigh Hall and estate and was a senior director of the company. Photo by Alan Davies.
Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
Burslem is stamped on the reverse of this brick & Kelly's
Staffs. 1880 edition lists Wigley & Shirley ; office, Moorland
Road ; works, Moorland Road, Burslem SOT. Found that George Wigley
is recorded in Kelly's at Sylvester Square, Burslem from 1876 to
1884 producing fireclay bricks. Then information from a Census
record & a London Gazette Liquidation Notice dated 1880, that it
was George's son, William Henry Wigley who was in the partnership
with Elijah Shirley at Sylvester Square (Moorland Road) producing
pottery stilts & spurs & red bricks when they went bankrupt
in June of 1880. The Liquidation Notice also records Wigley &
Shirley as having a second works at Port Vale Tileries, Wolstanton
producing blue bricks. Info & Photographed at Apedale Heritage
Centre by Martyn Fretwell.
Photos by David Kitching.
Kelly's 1895 edition records The Wigwell Brick & Tile Co.
Limited at Whatstandwell, Matlock Bath with William C. Shaw as
manager. This works is shown as disused on the 1900 OS map. The
Wigwell Brick Works is listed as being previously owned by Mathew
Shaw in Kelly's 1887 & 1891 editions. Also see Mathew Shaw
entry. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
Photo by Dave Revitt.
Photos by David Kitching.
Photos by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection. Wilcock and Co were listed in trade directories 1867 - 1887 at various addresses in the Burmantofts district of Leeds as manufacturers of chimney tops, sanitary tubes and firebricks with works on Nippet Lane, Burmantofts. The company also produced the Burmantofts Faience tiles. http://http//www.studiopottery.com/cgi-bin/mp.cgi?item=315
Found on the seashore at Crosby, Merseyside. Photo by Max Smith.
Photo by Martyn Fretwell from the David Penney Collection.
John William Wild, Atherton Brickworks, Wigan Road, Atherton. Kelly's Atherton Directory 1909. Photo by Frank Hilton.
Thomas Wild, Bents Lane, Bredbury, Stockport. c.1865.
Made by Wemyss & Co. Mitcheldean, see that entry for a history
of the works.
Photo by Frank Lawson.
Photo by Sean Parry.
Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
Photo by Greg Julian.
Samuel and Jim Wilkinson had brickworks in Burslem and Longport. The brick below has a curious tale: Samuel had a son named Frank Bernard, because he wanted to draw attention to the excellence of the bricks they made and to also get his son a mention he decided the bricks trade name should be Bern-Ard. When Jim got to hear of this he was totally against the idea. All the moulds were destroyed and the name Bern-Ard passed into history. The example below is a rare survivor of a family dispute. Photos by David Kitching.
Photos by Ken Perkins.
Photo by David Kitching.
Photos by Frank Lawson.
Samuel Wilkinson & Sons., Blackley, Elland, West Yorks. The brickworks was established in 1894. The company was taken over by Butterley in 1983 but the works closed in 1985. Its founder was Samuel Wilkinson and his sons Fred and Arthur were managers. Info by Frank Lawson, photo by Simon Patterson.
Found in a house demolition at Cosgrove. George Wilkinson was a farmer and brickmaker and had his works at Brick Kiln Farm, Watling Street, Wolverton, Buckinghamshire. William and George Wilkinson are listed in 1830 as brickmakers at Stony Stratford. The works was active from the 1850s to the 1870s. The 1881 OS map shows the works to be out of use. Photo by Nigel Furniss.
Willenhall Brick Co., Noose Lane, Willenhall. Kelly’s 1928 edition. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
Found in the Newcastle on Tyne area. Photo by Chris Graham.
Photo by Chris Tilney.
Frederick J Williams succeeded his father Joseph (see below) in running the family building and brickmaking business at Swindon. Photo by Guy Morgan.
Joseph Williams was a builder in the Swindon area in the later 19th century. Photo via John Harrison.
Robert Williams & Co established a firebrick works on Ashton New Road in the Bradford area of east Manchester in c 1850. In addition to firebricks, the firm also produced chimney tops, sanitary tubes and drain pipes. The works comprised two circular kilns, ancillary buildings for preparing the clay and moulding the bricks, and a shaft via which fireclay was extracted from the coal seams beneath the site. The business had been taken over before the late 1870s by Edward Williams, who also operated the nearby Bradford Colliery Brickworks. The works closed in c 1905, when the underground fireclay workings were abandoned. The kilns had been demolished by 1920, by which date a picture house had been built on the site.
These two examples were found on the site of the firebrick works during a recent redevelopment. The one bearing the stamp of 'Williams & Co' presumably dates to the early operation of the works, whilst the latter was probably manufactured during Edward Williams' ownership of the site. Photo and information by Ian Miller.
Photos by David Kitching.
John Williams is listed in trade directories at Basford Works, Etruria between 1851 and 1862. In 1861 he was living in Lower Harts Hill a short distance from the brickworks on Brickkiln Lane. Whilst it is believed that this brick came from John's business there was also Thomas Williams at the nearby Basford Tileries as another possible maker.
Richard Williams is listed in Slater's Manchester Directory for 1883 at Palmerston Street, Ancoats. This street runs into Beswick where the 1891 OS map shows a brickworks with a Hoffmann kiln. Photo by David Kitching.
Photos by Jason Stott.
Thomas Williams, Basford Tileries, Brick Kiln Lane, Hartshill was operating by the 1860s and was still in business in 1904. Photo and information by David Kitching.
Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
Photo by Phil Burgoyne.
Photo by David Kitching.
Photo by Sharon Stevens.
Found Goole, E.Yorks. Henry Williamson & Co Ltd, Faxfleet,
Howden & Newport. Kelly's North & East Riding
Directory 1897 - 1937. It seems likely that the business was established around 1885 as Henry Williamson & Co becoming a limited company in the later 1890s. The works was adjacent to the Market Weighton Canal in the parish of Faxfleet and close to Broomfleet Landing. Photosby Frank Lawson.
An Italian shipwreck brick! Vincenzo Agrillo found this one 55 metres down in the wreck on an old steamship off the coast of Italy.
This company started as Adamantine Clinker founded by Isaac Addams in 1850. The Adamantine Clinker Works in Little Bytham near Stamford had passed to Towers & Williamson when recorded in Kelly's 1876 edition. Towers & Williamson then opened a second works at Little Casterton Road, Stamford & this works is listed in Kelly's 1905 edition. Albert Cliff, son of Joseph Cliff of Leeds, joined the business in 1908. The company then split into two & is recorded in Kelly's 1909 edition, with the Little Bytham Works becoming Towers Adamantine Clinker, Fire & Roofing Tile Co. & the Little Casterton Road Works becoming Williamson Cliff Limited by 1913. Williamson Cliff used Belgian kilns to produce their fireclay bricks which were used by most of the cement companies in the country to line their cement kilns, with Hanson being one of their main customers. The company started to produce hand made facing bricks in 1927 & these were in great demand after WW2 as these bricks matched the colour & texture of the College buildings being rebuilt at both Oxford & Cambridge. In the 1960's the Works produced hand made roof tiles & in 1986 this relative small Company employed 65 people manufacturing refractories & facing bricks. Buckingham Palace, Nottingham University & the Zealand Court Flats in Westbourne, Bournemouth have all used the Company's facing bricks. The Works had used Belgian Kilns which had been patented in 1895 by the Dubois d'Enghien Brothers in Hennuyeres, Belgium & these were replaced in 1993 with solid hearth type kilns & the No.3 Belgian Kiln was last to be demolished in 1998. Williamson Cliff announced the closure of it's Stamford Works in March 2002, with the buildings being demolished in 2004 & the site then being cleared for housing in 2007. Photo by Colin Wooldridge from the John Cooksey Collection & info by Martyn Fretwell.
See also under Adamantine Clinker.
R. Wilson was operating Broughton Moor Colliery and Brickworks in
the 1880s. In the 1890s the business traded as Flimby &
Broughton Moor Coal & Firebrick Co. Ltd. Photo and info
by David Kitching.
Photo by Frank Lawson.
Seen at the Snohomish County Lime Kiln path in Washington,
USA. Photo by Wendy Wright.
Both found in Barrow in Furness by Richard Comish.
Found at Workington by Richard Cornish.
Found at Millom by Richard Cornish.
Photo by Alan Garner.
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I.Wilson, Ilkeston. Listed as a brickmaker in the Post
Office Directory of Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire 1855. Photo
courtesy of Derby Museums.
Photos by Frank Lawson.
Photo by Martyn Fretwell.
Oliver Wilson is listed in trade directories as a brick manufacturer at Belmont Brickworks, Cowleigh Bank, Great Malvern, from 1870, having previously been a builder. The business is listed as Oliver Wilson & Son between 1876 and 1888 and from 1892 to 1921 as James C Wilson. In 1881 it employed 20 men and 9 boys at the works which boasted a large clay pit accessed by rail inclines and a large round continuous kiln. In 1924 there is a change to J C Wilson (Malvern) Ltd until 1938 after which the works seems to have closed. Photo by Tim Heywood.
Photo by Don Boldison.
Images by Frank Lawson.
Thanks to John Pease for the photo.
Photo by Martin Fretwell.
Wilson's Sandal Brickworks Ltd., Sandal, Wakefield. Photo by Tony Gray.
The Wilson & Hook works at Upminster in Essex seems to have been in business from the later 1870s to 1885. They made a wide range of bricks, pipes, tiles, chimney pots and flower pots. Photo by Andy Grant.
Wilson & Walker, Monkhill, Pontefract. Kelly's Directory 1881 and 1927. Photos by Frank Lawson.
Photo by Don Boldison.
Photo by A.K.A.Demik
Alfred Schofield / Sheffield Brick Co., Shiregreen Lane, Wincobank, Sheffield I understand that both Alfred Schofield (until around 1912) and the Sheffield Brick Co (after around 1912) produced bricks impressed with the name "Winco" at the Shiregreen Lane works. Photo and info by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.
Photo by Antony Meadows.
Photo by Antony Meadows.
Windhill Brick Co Ltd., Eastmoor, Wakefield, West Yorks. Photos
and info by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.
Photo by Colin Driver.
Photo by David Kitching.
So far the only possible manufacturer of this firebrick that has been located is Elijah Winkle who was in business as a limeburner adjacent to the canal in Longport in 1896.
Best Stourbridge - reverse of Winkle, Port Vale. Photos and info by David Kitching.
Thomas S. Winter, White Leas Brick Works, near Tyne Dock was certainly in business by November 1894 when he was summoned to court for operating dangerous unguarded machinery. The business was closed at the end of the lease in May 1911 and the plant and equipment sold at auction. Info from Mark Cranston, photo by Nic Cannon.
Found on a 19th century building in Durham City this brick is almost certainly lettered for Thomas Winter
who was a
builder based at Claypath in Durham City in the 1850s to 1870s. Whether he actually manufactured
bricks or whether he had them made with his name on is a matter of conjecture. Photo by Sarah Fawcett.
Photo by Steven Tait.
James Wintle & Son ; office, Barton Street, Gloucester ; works, Llanthony & Walham near Gloucester & Lower Lode, Tewkesbury. Kelly's Gloucestershire Directory 1897. James Wintle owned the Severnside Brick Works in Walham & he is listed in Kellys 1906 edition at this works, then in Kellys 1910 edition Wintle is only listed at his two other works. Photo and information by Frank Lawson with additional info by Martyn Fretwell.
The Wisewood Brick & Tile Co., Loxley Road, Malin Bridge, Sheffield. White's Sheffield Directory 1908. Photos and info by Frank Lawson.
A small town on the North Sea coast near Hull. Probably manufactured by Richard Stephenson listed in the PO directory of 1857 as Farmer and Brick-maker. Although in the village of Hollym approximately 1.5 miles from Withernsea, at this time Withernsea was classed as within the Parish of Hollym until 1892. Thanks to John Tibbles for the photo and information.
Now a landfill site, situated near Chorley in Lancashire. Photos by David Kitching.
The Withnell Brick and Terra Cotta Company Ltd at Abbey Village, Withnell, Chorley, Lancs, seems to have been established in 1898 by Frederick Parke. Parke died in 1909 having previously retired from the business which was was adjudged bankrupt in January 1911 and in July 1911 the whole of the works was offered at auction as a going concern. The sale particulars described the works as having nine rectangular and four circular downdraught kilns, five muffled kilns and three chimneys. The steam power and electric lighting equipment was installed new in 1898 at the beginning of the current lease. This was a large operation with its own railway sidings and steam shunting locomotive. The business was taken over by the Withnell Brick & Terra Cotta Co. 1912 Ltd. Barrett's Directory of Blackburn & Burnley 1931. The company manufactured all manner of bricks, chimney pots and terra cotta ornamentation. A copy of their catalogue of wares can be viewed at here.
Photo by Andrew Morley.
Found on Crosby Beach. Photo by Jeremy Nutter.
Photos by Frank Lawson.
Photo by Alan Davies.
Found at Cobbinshaw (Oil Shale) Pits, West Calder, West Lothian,
Scotland by Ian Suddaby.
Photo by Sharon Stevens.
The Withymoor Brick & Tile Works was established in the late 19th century by The Bournehills & Withymoor Collieries & Fireclay Co Ltd and was closed with the site cleared by 1938. The brickworks was just off
Northfield Road in Netherton & close to the terminus of the Withymoor Arm of the Dudley Canal. The site
today has Darby End Road flats built upon it. Photos by Colin
Wooldridge from the John Cooksey Collection.
The Witton Fire Brick Company was the owner of Witton Park Colliery, Witton-le-Wear, County Durham, from the 1880s. The colliery provided the fireclay for the brickworks. Found near Tow Law in Durham by Chris Tilney. Thanks to Richard Cornish for information.
Photo by Steven Tait.
Photo by Chris Tilney.
Witton Park Colliery is listed as making firebricks in 1855. Photo by Liz Robinson.