"Old Bricks - history at your feet"

Mystery makers

page 2

Any information you can give on these bricks would be appreciated.

N

Possibly made at an Estate brickworks owned by the 5th Marquess of Northampton. Info & Photo by Martyn Fretwell courtesy of the Bill Richardson Collection at Southwick Hall.

N B

Found in York and proving difficult to identify. Just possibly Thomas Nelson who had a brickworks at Dringhouses in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Photo by Chris Tilney.

N M M Co

Found in Oldham.

N S4

Photographed at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich by Marcin Guzek.

N S R

Found at Impington, Cambridge. Photo by Stuart Murray.

N W G

Photo by Chris Tilney who found this in the north-east of England.

Found near Langley Park, County Durham by Terry Coult.

O

Found at Ousterley, Country Durham by Chris Tilney.

Oak

Photo by Jason Stott.

O B

Found at Prendergast, Haverfordwest by David Redd. Possibly Eclipse brickworks, Horeb, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire where there were many of these lying around on the site when Mike Stokes visited.

OHO

Found on the bank of the River Thames by Germander Speedwell

Optimus

Found in Argentina. Photo via Mark Cranston.

P

The origins of this blue brick are thought to be in the West Midlands or North Staffordshire. Photo by Phil Burgoyne.

P & B

This brick was found at Buckle lane/Wakefield Road, Normanton, West Yorkshire. Image PRBCO.

P B C

Photo by Darren Heywood.

Found in Bradford. Photo by David Fox.

P B T C

Found in Essex by Christopher Smith.

P. C.

Found in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire.

P . G

Photo by David Kitching.

P H P

Found at Ince in Makerfield and likely to be from a brickworks in the area. Photo by David Kitching.

P & O

Found by Peter Hughes in Baildon, West Yorkshire.

P R 32

Found in Sheffield by Andrew Richards.

P W

Probably from somewhere in Sussex, Surrey or Kent. Photo by Richard Symonds.

Parkers Patent

Found by Gary Davies at Acrefair, near Wrexham.

P S B

Found around the Hayling Island / Langstone Harbour shoreline in Hampshire by Tony Russell.

P. S. S.

Found near Weardale, County Durham.

Found at Seaton Ross, East Yorkshire by Carla van Beveren.

R

Spotted on a farm near Tamworth by Mike Shaw.

R

Seen at the Museum of East Anglian Life by Martyn Fretwell.

R

Found underneath the 1920s floor of All Saints church in Wokingham, Berks. Photo by John Harrison

R. A.

Found in Riccall, North Yorks by Ian Prest.

R. E. (A)

Found near the village of Wales, Rotherham. Photo by Frank Lawson.

Rd No 416792

A yellow paving brick found at English Salvage Reclamation by Martyn Fretwell.

R H I & C Co.

This brick was found by the River Ancholme neat Horkstow North LIncolnshire. Lettering suggests Robert Heath Iron & Coal Co., but it was found a long way from Biddulph. Can anyone from Scunthorpe suggest a more local Company? Image PRBCO.

R L

Both found in the Dewsbury area by Chris Shaw.

R M

Photographed at the Museum of East Anglian Life by Martyn Fretwell.

R P

Found at Radstone, Bucks. Photo by Maurice Stokes.

R P & S

Found in the Tyne Valley. Photo by Chris Tilney.

R. R.

Maybe Suffolk or Essex. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

R S & W E Entwistle

Photo by courtesy of the Colin Driver collection. Colin writes: Found on Turton Moor. I'm completely in the dark with this one. I'm presuming Entwisle is the place name rather than a surname,as it's only a couple of miles away. Any further info would be very welcome.

R T L

Seen with Essex & Suffolk bricks. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

R V S

Photo by courtesy of the Colin Driver collection.

S

Photo by Sue Wright.

S 2 W

Found around the Hayling Island / Langstone Harbour shoreline in Hampshire by Tony Russell.

S B B Co Ltd, Willenhall

Could have been made by the Standard Brick Co., Willenhall as it's the nearest match that I can find. It's the second B that is baffling me, so it could stand for the Standard Blue Brick Co. Ltd. Willenhall ? The name of Staffordshire Blue Brick Co. Willenhall also fits, but did the Staffordshire Red & Blue Brick Works in Pensnett (on the S page & in Kellys 1900 edition) have a second works at Willenhall ? Please contact Dave if you have the answer. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

S B L C

S C

Photo by Martyn Fretwell courtesy of the Bill Richardson Collection at Southwick Hall.

Sandfaced

Maybe Essex or Kent. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

S P L

Found at Ravenscar, North Yorkshire. Photo by David Clarke.

S T

Found in Berkshire by John Harrison.

S T N

Found near the village of North Grimston in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire by Carla van Beveren.

SUN

Found on the Thames forshore in Greenwich, London. Photo by Samantha Jones.

S V R

Found in County Durham. Photo by Steven Tait.

S W

Found at Hadley Reclamation in Yoxall, Staffs by Angel Rose.

S W C

Found in the Thornhill, Dewsbury area. Photo by Jason Stott.

Symbol brick

Embossed keyhole design, photo by Richard Symonds.

T

Found at Wharton Hall Colliery shaft, Little Hulton, Lancashire. The T may stand for Tynesbank near Walkden. The brick is slightly larger than standard bricks in all its dimensions. Photo and info by Alan Davies.

T

Photographed at the Museum of East Anglian Life by Martyn Fretwell.

T A & Co.

Found on Teesside. Photo by Chris Tilney.

Found by Vladimir Smirnov in St. Petersburg.

T B

Photo by Mark Cranston.

T B

Found near Ferryhill in Durham, this might be an early Thomas Benson product. Photo by Steven Tait.

T B C

Photo by courtesy of the Colin Driver collection.

T C

Found near Hurst Castle by Nigel Furniss.

Tebruk

Found in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area by Chris Tilney.

T H L

Found near Exmouth by Simon Fogg.

T K

Found in Knottingley by Tim Lawton.

T L - H C P

Photo taken at Bursledon Brick Museum by Martyn Fretwell.

T N

Found in an agricultural stable block, built in 1888, in Great Hormead, Buntingford, Herts by James Wild.

Triangle mark

Found in Southwest County Durham. Photo by Chris Tilney who has seen several of these triangle marked bricks in the area.

T S B

Found to the east of Newcastle. Photos by Chris Graham.

Photo by Steven Tait.

T W & Co.

Found in a derelict limekiln at Garrigill, Alston, Cumbria by David Kitching.

Thofall

This one took a bit of deciphering but a bit of tinkering in Photoshop revealed the lettering. The brick is in John Baylis's collection in Birmingham, so could have been made in Walsall or West Bromwich. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

T R & Co

Found on Teesside. Photo by Chris Tilney.

Found south Tyneside. Photo by Steven Tait.

Tree Design

This intriguing brick was found in Somerset by Brian Murless.

U. L & B. Co Ld

This came from demolition rubble brought from Manchester and has the feel of a Manchester area brick. The L & B. Co Ld must surely stand for Lime & Brick Co Ltd. That leaves the mystery of what the U is for.

V

Found at the edge of the railway at Coalville by David Blain.

V E 11

Found in Baildon, West Yorkshire by Peter Hughes, quite probably a modern brick.

VIII

Found in the old kiln wall at Woburn Sands by Nigel Furniss.

W

A white glazed W brick seen in Kettering by Dave Clemo.

W

Found on the north Kent shoreline. Photo by Joan Hobson.

W

Found in a Sheffield reclamation yard. Photo by Phil Burgoyne.

W & Co.

Found at the side of The Great North Road, Woodlands near Doncaster by Dennis Canning.

W B

Found in Scarborough by Nigel Megson. It has been suggested that this may be a product of William Booth's Salvation Army brickworks at Hadleigh near Southend. Another, more local, possibility is William Bethell whose brick & tile works operated at Little Catwick from before 1852 to 1915.

W & B

Photo by courtesy of the Richard Symonds collection.

W & B M

Found on land adjacent to the Southborough Viaduct, which was built by the South Eastern Railway in 1845, by Richard Stewart.

W B O

Seen at Clee Hill, Shropshire by Michael Shaw.

W B Y

Photo by Martyn Fretwell courtesy of the Bill Richardson Collection at Southwick Hall.

W C

Found at Middlewood, Cheshire. Photo by David KItching.

W C

Found on the beach at Walton On The Naze, Essex by Stuart Whenmouth. Obviously been there for a long time!

W & C C

Found in a Liverpool based collection and likely to be from a works in the Lancashire/Manchester area. Photo by David Kitching.

W C I B

Found at Quorn, Leicestershire. One suggestion for maker is William Crane, Ibstock, but the age of this brick is probably too early for that maker. Photo by Alwyn Sparrow.

W D C

Found in Bishop Auckland. Photo by Billy Francis.

W D J

Found in Cowes, Isle of Wight by Dean Mercer.

W D P

Found at Blackpool and may well be from a Preston based brickworks. Photo by David Kitching.

W F

Photographed at Romsey Reclamation Yard by Martyn Fretwell.

W F

Found under a hedge at Crofton, Wakefield by Philip Jervis.

W G . S

Found in the River Tees at Stockton-on-Tees. I am sure that the first two letters of the maker and the S stands for Stockton. Photo by Steven Tait.

W H

Seen with Essex & Suffolk bricks. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

W J

Martyn Fretwell writes: With this brick being photographed at Cawarden Reclamation Yard, Rugeley, could it have been made by William Jones, Rumer Hill Tileries, Cannock. Kelly's 1872 to 1900 editions?

Another example found in a Liverpool based collection.

W L

Found just south of the Tyne at Swalwell. Photo by Chris Tilney.

Found at Hull. Photo by Frank Lawson.

Found in Sheffield. Photos by Sharon Stevens.

W L N

Found Macclesfield, Cheshire 2016. Origin not known. Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

W M

In the Henry Holt collection.

W M H

Seen with Essex & Suffolk bricks. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

W P M

This W.P.M. brick came from a wharf cottage situated on the Cromford Canal near Lower Hartshay Wharf near Ripley which I was doing an excavation on. The majority of the bricks in this cottage were these stamped W.P.M bricks & I date it's construction to the 1860's, but I have been unable to find the maker. Photo & Info by Gerwyn Richards.

W S

Photographed at the Black Country Living Museum by Martyn Fretwell.

W W

Found in County Durham by Ian Hunter.

Found in County Durham by Chris Tilney.

W W

Photographed in a wall at Settle by Mike Chapman.

W W

Found in County Durham. Photo by Steven Tait.

X

Photographed on Allonby beach, Cumbria by Paul Hampson. It has been suggested by Reg of Picton, New Zealand, that the symbol is actually a representation of a hide of leather.