"Old Bricks - history at your feet"

Scotland page C: letters N to W


Letter N

N C B Bar-Law



Barbauchlaw Brick Works, Armadale, West Lothian. Photos by Mark Cranston.


N C B Bl/Ferme



A product of the N C B Blantyreferme brickworks near Glasgow, photo and info by Richard Paterson.

Photo by John Harrison.


N C B Buccleuch

The Buccleuch Brickworks in Sanquhar, Dumfries & Galloway. Before nationalisation in 1947 this was owned by Sanquhar and Kirkconnel Collieries. Photo by Donald Nelson


N C B Dico

From Dunaskin brickworks, Waterside, Ayrshire. Photo by Mark Cranston.


N C B Dunaskin

Dunaskin Brickworks, near Dalmelington, Ayrshire. Closed 1976 by the Scottish Brick Corporation.Photo and information by David Kitching.


N C B Fauldhead

Fauldhead Colliery at Kirkconnel was easily the largest pit in Dumfriesshire. A brickworks was opened here in 1912 by Sanquhar & Kirkconnel Collieries Limited. The National Coal Board took over in 1947 and the brickworks remained in production until a few years after the closure of the colliery in 1969. Info by David Kitching.



Photos by David Kitching.

N C B Gartshore

Gartshore Brickworks, Kilsyth. Photos by Mark Cranston.


N C B Gateside

Gateside Brickworks, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire. Photo by Mark Cranston.

Photo by Kirsty Howard.


N C B Lochgelly



Lochgelly Brickworks, Lochgelly, Fife. Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

N C B Newton

Newton Brickworks, Blantyre, Lanarkshire. Photo by Hugh Miller.

Photos by Mark Cranston.


N C B Niddrie

The Niddrie brickworks, near Edinburgh, was a large common-brick works built to supply bricks for housebuilding by the Niddrie & Benhar Coal Co.  It had three large Hoffman continuous kilns, and latterly, a modern shuttle kiln.  The works closed in 1991, and was demolished. The site is now a shopping centre.  Information taken from the scran database.

Photo by Ian Summerfield.

Photo by Steven Pinder.


N C B Preston Grange

Bricks were made at Preston Grange from the early nineteenth century.  After 1872 the works were expanded and progressively mechanised and switched to using shale (blaes) and fireclay from the nearby colliery.  By the nineteen fifties almost all of the colliery's output was absorbed by the brickworks.  Information taken from the scran database.

Photo by David Kitching.

Photos by Mark Cranston.

Prestongrange is in East Lothian and is now an industrial museum. The Hoffman brick kiln is preserved on site. Photo by Chris Tilney.

Found near Edinburgh by Joseph Hodgkiss.

Photo by Mike Shaw.

Photos by Ian Suddaby.

Photos by Frank Lawson.


N C B Roslin

A brickworks was set up at Roslin Colliery (which was owned by the Shotts Iron Company) in 1937 to produce 40,000 bricks a day.  During WW2 these were used to build air-raid shelters.  The brickworks operated until the 1970's, source: R C A H M S

Photo by David Kitching.

Found on a disused railway near Roslin, Edinburgh.  Thanks to Joseph Hodgkiss for the contributions.



Photo by Mark Cranston.

N C B Shotts

Manufactured at Northfield Brickworks, Shotts, Lanarkshire. Photo by Mark Cranston.


N C B Skares

Skares Brickworks, Skares, Cumnock, Ayrshire.

Skares Brick Works was built by the National Coal Board during 1954-5. The works used the material from the local bings to make common bricks marked NCB SKARES. In 1969 the works were taken over by the Scottish Brick Corporation and made bricks marked SBC. Photos by Ian Suddaby.

Photo by Bill Duff.

Photo by Neville Akers.


N C B Wallyford

 



Photo by Phil Jenkins.

N. C. B. Whitehill

Made on the same site as N C B Skares bricks. Photo by Tony Gray.

Photo by Steven Pinder.


Nellfield

Found near Connel Ferry station by Martin Briscoe, made by the Nellfield brick & tile works, Carluke, 1893 - 1939.



Found in Ayr by Bill Speirs.



Photo by Robert Beresford.

Nettle : see Stein


Newbattle


New Cleghorn, Glasgow

Part of the Summerlee collection, photo by Monkland Memories.


Newmains

This works was near Wishaw. Photo by Mark Cranston.


Newton

Newton Brickworks, Blantyre, Lanarkshire. Photo by Guy Morgan.


Niddrie - see N C B Niddrie


Nimmo

Part of the Summerlee collection, photo by Monkland Memories.


Nitshill

Nitshill Brickworks, Glasgow. Photo by Neville Akers.


Letter O

Omoa

Found on the seashore near Stranraer by Jonathan Wilkins.  Made by Omoa Fireclay Works, Cleland. 


Letter P.

Panmure





 Made on a presumably estate-owned brickworks in Carnoustie. Found on a derelict site in Broughty Ferry.  Photo and info by Scottish Brickmarks.

Patent : see Inverkeithing


J. Paterson & Son, Glasgow

This works was active from 1889 - 1945, photo by Andrew Greg.  Found in a backyard in Strathbungo, Glasgow.


Patrick & Brownlie Crown Brand

Found by Vladimir Smirnov in St. Petersburg.  Believed to have been made near Carluke in Lanarkshire.


Pentland

Found at an Edinburgh recycling centre by Joseph Hodgkiss. This brickworks was located in Straiton about 6 miles south of Edinburgh City centre.


Perceton, Irvine



Spotted in Dumfries by Edward.  Made by J & M Craig, Perceton Fireclay Works, Dreghorn, Ayrshire.

Pitcon

Pitcon Brickworks, Dalry, Ayrshire.

Photo taken at a radar station on Tiree by Martin Briscoe.


Pitfour

Photo taken near the site of the old Grandtully Station by Peggy Edwards.  Made by Pitfour Brick & Tile Works at Glencarse, 1850 - 1912.

Photo by Phil Jenkins.


Plann, Kilmarnock

Plann Fireclay Works, 1896 - 1970's.  Photo by Mark Cranston.



Only one N on this one.  Found in Ardrossan by Lee Robinson.

John Porter

John Porter & Sons, Jeanfield or Janefield Brickworks, London Road, Glasgow. Info from Mark Cranston.

Made at Parkhead (near Celtic's ground) in Glasgow and found in Glasgow by David Ashford.



Possibly a product of this works. Photo by Martyn Fretwell. Courtesy of Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.

Prestongrange:  see N C B Prestongrange


Pugeston

Puggieston or Pugeston Brick and Tile Works, Montrose and later renamed Montrose Brick and Tile Works. Bricks from these works were known locally as ‘puggies’ or ‘pudgies’. Info by Mark Cranston, photo by Ian Suddaby.


Letter R

Raeburn

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.  The works was at Blantyre in Lanarkshire.


Rawyards, Glasgow

Rawyards Brickworks, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. Image by Gary Johns.

Photos by Ian Suddaby.


Reid Lugton



Found in Galston, East Ayrshire.  Photo by Ian Suddaby.

Photo by David Kitching.


Robroyston



 Made at the Robroyston Brick & Tile Works on the outskirts of Glasgow. Found and photographed on the western tip of Knoydart by Ian Hunter.

Rosehall

From a demolished GPO repeater station near Oban, photo by Martin Briscoe. Made in Coatbridge, ca 1900 - 1945.

Roslin - see N C B Roslin


Rowland, Polmadie

Part of the Summerlee collection, photo by Monkland Memories.


Letter S

Sankey B M Scotch



Photos by Mark Cranston.

S & KC Buccleuch (Sanquhar)

Sanquhar and Kirkconnel Collieries, Sanquhar.

The Buccleuch Brickworks in Sanquhar, Dumfries & Galloway was established in about 1889 to make terracotta bricks. It consisted of a large moulding shop and eight large round downdraught kilns, all of which had conical superstructures, probably later additions.  The clay came from quarries to the north-east and south-east on narrow-gauge tramways.  The brickworks produced both standard-sized facing bricks, probably in brick presses and 'specials', hand-made in limited quantities.  This works closed in about 1958, but was still reasonably intact in the mid-1960s.  By 1971 the kilns had been almost completely demolished, and since then the rest of the complex has also gone.  Terracotta bricks were popular as they were non-porous, and did not retain soot on their surfaces.  Information taken from the scran database.

Found in an Edinburgh recycling centre by Joseph Hodgkiss.

Photo by Mark Cranston.



Found near Lanercost, very close to Hadrian's Wall in Cumbria by Ian Miller.



Found near Castle Douglas by Nigel Megson.

Scotch Steel

Believed to have been manufactured by Eglinton Silica bricks. Scotch Steel makers, patent chrome ore bricks and patent alumina bricks. The Eglinton Chemical Company, 27 St Vincent Street, Glasgow. Info by Mark Cranston, photo by James Alexander Bell.


Scotia

Made in Scotland but the identity of the manufacturer is uncertain. Photos by Ian Suddaby.


Scottish Brick Company

Photo by David Sallery.

The Scottish Brick Company operated a number of former NCB works. This example was found at the 1980's LAW (Later Ibstock) works Tannochside site when being demolished. Photo and info from Chris Deacon.

Photo by John Harrison.

Photos by Frank Lawson.

Photo by Mark Cranston.


Scottish Oils Ltd



The SOL brick was found near Crianlarich by Ian Suddaby.  Made by Scottish Oils Ltd, Pumpherston, West Lothian between the 1930s and 1993. Made from compressed shale derived from the products of the local shale oil industry.


SSB Co - Scottish Silica Brick Company

Probably Scottish Silica Brick Company of Coatbridge. It is also possible that these were made in Swansea by the Siemens Silica Brick Company Ltd. Photos by Ian Suddaby.


Scottish Terracotta

Found on a Renfrewshire seashore by Ian Sinclair.  Made at Lee Terra Cotta Works in the 1890s.



Photo by Robert Beresford.

Seaton

Photo by Lindsey Kitching.


Seggie



Seggie Brick and Tile Works, Guardbridge, St Andrews.  Photo courtesy of Scottish Brickmarks.

M B Sheriff, Dunbar



M B Sherriff, Seafield Brick & Tile Works, Edinburgh Road, Dunbar. East Lothian.  1841 - 1861 started by Bailie France Sherriff, continued by William Brodie Sherriff, then his Daughter Marion Brodie Sherriff. The works closed in the 1890s. Photo by Edith Stewart.

Photo by Alistair Mills.


Shotts

Shott Sand Limestone Bricks, ca 1910 - 1947.

Photo by Martin Briscoe

Found on waste ground near Edinburgh by Joseph Hodgkiss.

Photo by David Kitching.


Sill: see Stein


Simpson, Carfin



Alexander G Simpson, Brick maker, Carfin, Motherwell.  Found by David Ivey at Chapelhall near Motherwell.

Small & Co

Robert Small & Co, Pitfour Brickworks, Perth.

Photo by Bill Duff.


J B Smith & Co.



Found on the seashore at Bo'ness, West Lothian by Paul Shave.

Smith & Wellstood

Smith & Wellstood, Foundry Brickworks, Bonnybridge. Photo by Phil Burgoyne.


Souterhouse

Made in Coatbridge, ca 1899 - ca 1930. Photo by Jason Sutcliffe.


Southhook, Crosshouse, Kilmarnock N.B.

Photo by Jason Sutcliffe.

Found on the seashore in Crosby, Merseyside.



Photographed in Edinburgh by Joseph Hodgkiss



Photo by David Kitching.

Photo by Nigel Megson.

The Southhook Fireclay works (sometimes known by the alternative name of the Bourtreehill Fireclay Works) was situated to the West of Kilmarnock. The Company owned the Southhook Pit, one of the oldest clay pits in south west Scotland situated near Knockintiber,. The Bourtreehill Works was in operation from 1875 to the 1970s.  Further info here and here

The pottery's Bonnyton works in Kilmarnock was where they manufactured most of their products including their salt-glazed drainage pipes. Photo by Scottish Brickmarks.


Speirs Gibb & Co. Paisley

Found on a Renfrewshire seashore by Ian Sinclair.


Spin MG



A Heavy engineering or refractory brick.  Found on the seashore at Bo'ness, West Lothian by Paul Shave.  Possibly a product of Mark Hurll, Glasgow.

Stanrigg

Part of the Summerlee collection, photo by Monkland Memories.


Starworks, Glenboig, see under Glenboig


J. G. Stein - G. R. Stein

The 'Thistle' and 'Stein' brands are believed to have been manufactured in Scotland by J G Stein who had works in the Castlecary / Bonnybridge area and also at Manuel near Linlithgow.  'Thistle' was a 38% alumina firebrick but the Stein brands varied in alumina content.  In 1967 J G Stein amalgamated with General Refractories of Sheffield and became GR Stein Refractories.  This company was then taken over by Hepworth Ceramic Holdings and eventually became known as Hepworth Refractories. Another takeover took place when it became Premier Refractories but this did not last very long because it was bought by Vesuvius is now part of the Cookson Group. Photo by Chris Tilney.

Found on a Renfrewshire seashore by Ian Sinclair.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

Photos by David Kitching.

Photo by Ian Suddaby.

Photo by Steven Taylor.

The third of the bricks from Chilean Patagonia, photo by Robert Runyard.

Photo by Mark Cranston.  Possibly a product of the Manuel works in Linlithgow, and part of the Stein Group. If so, it is named after a clay seam with a high alumina content, and dubbed "Nettle". The first Nettle bricks came out of the kilns in 1930. Thanks to Lawrence Skuse.



Photo by Maurice Stokes, found at Clay Mills pumping station, Burton on Trent

Foundd at Newbiggin by the Sea by Anna Jeffcoat.



Found on the pebble beach at Kenfig Burrows near Bridgend by Michael Kilner.



Found in Ebbw Vale by Andrew.

Photos by Frank Lawson.

Found in North Notts. by Simon Patterson.  Lawrence Skuse writes:  There are a great number of NETTLE-D bricks and larger blocks in the Dowlais Brook in Cwmbran, alongside the former GKN Refractories (aka "The White Brick Works").  These are unused and along with other firms' refractory items also found in the brook, I believe they were sold by GKN along with their own refractory items.



Stein Ladle, found in Shotton, North Wales



Photo by Scottish Brickmarks.

Nettle Dense. Info by Mark Cranston, photo by Richard Cornish.

The numbers are thought to indicate the percentage content of alumina in the bricks. Photos by Ian Suddaby.

A frogged Stein brick is indeed a rarity. Photo by Phil Burgoyne.

Made by GR-Stein, 63% alumina. Photos by Ian Suddaby.


Stepends - see also Coltness

Martin Briscoe photographed this one. Les Horn writes: Stepends, a National Coal Board brick works, was at Stepends Colliery at Plains near Kirk O'Shotts in Lanarkshire (GB Grid Ref NS 806 669). There was an aerial ropeway to Ardenrigg No.6 mine.

Found by Martin Briscoe in Glenfinnan at a WW11 Observer Post.

Photo by John Harrison.


Sterling

Photo by Mark Cranston.


Steven, London Road

Part of the Summerlee collection, photo by Monkland Memories.


Stevenson, Patent, Glasgow



Found at low tide in Erskine by Ian Sinclair.

Stirling

Photo by Ian Suddaby.


John S Street

Probably manufactured at theStreet Brothers' Cruicks Pottery and Terracotta Works, Inverkeithing, Fife.
Info by Mark Cranston, photo by Bill Duff.


Strong

Mark Cranston thinks this is Scottish and the likely manufacturer is James Dougall of Bonnyside, Bonnybridge. Photo by Liz Robinson.


Summerlee

Made by the Summerlee Company and found in Dumbarton by Lairich Rigg

Photographed at Summerlee Museum.


Symington

Hugh Symington, Kipps Quarries and Brickworks, also at Faskine Brickworks, Calderbank, Airdrie.  Made from ca 1878 - ca 1928.


Letter T

Taylor Bros

J C Taylor Brothers, 28 St Enoch Street, Glasgow Makers of composition bricks at Avonbridge and Brucefield Works. Info by Mark Cranston, photo by Bill Duff. Found in Clackmannan.


Taylor & King, Auchinlea

Photo by Frank Lawson.


Templeton



Thes silica bricks were found in Motherwell. Photos by Ian Suddaby.

The Lee



 Made by Lee Terracotta Works, Braidwood, Carluke, Lanarkshire.  Photo and info by Scottish Brickmarks.

Thistle - see J. G. Stein


Thornton & sons, Portobello



This brick was produced by the firm of Thomas Thornton & Sons at the Abercorn Brickworks, High Street, Portobello. The brickworks only operated for a short time, possibly for as little as two years from 1883 to 1885 according to the book 'A Survey of Scottish Brickmarks'. Photograph and information by Joseph Hodgkiss.

Towers

Made at Grahamston Firebrick Works, Falkirk, Stirlingshire. Photo by Shay Thomas Mckinnon.


Turner's Portobello



Photo by Ian Suddaby.  Found on the site of Niddrie brickworks near Edinburgh.

Letter U

U F P

Photo by Steven Tait.

United Fireclay Products, made in Armadale, West Lothian, found by Simon Patterson in Worksop.


Letter V

Vogrie

Michael Davidson writes: We're refurbishing a property in Portobello, Edinburgh. The main structure is constructed using bricks from Vogrie brick and tile works. It's quite a rough and ready brick which in this instance was overclad with v-lined timber panelling. Vogrie Brick & Tile Works, Goreridge, operated between1852-1945.


Letter W

Waldies No.1

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James Waldie & Sons, Tile Makers, 103 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, Midlothian.  Photo by Mark Cranston.

Walkinshaw



Found in Locher Burn, Kilbarchan by Bill Speirs, a Renfrewshire product.

Wallyford

The brickworks was operated by Edinburgh Collieries Limited in the 1920s.   After 1947 it passed to the National Coal Board and in 1969 was sold to the Scottish Brick Corporation.  It closed in the early 1970s.

Found on waste ground in Fairmilehead, Edinburgh.  Thanks to Joseph Hodgkiss for the contribution.


Watsons

Photographed at Hirum Walkers Distillery, Dumbarton by Ian Sinclair.

Found among the rubble of a demolished wall in Glasgow by Joseph Hodgkiss.

Made by John Watson & Sons, Armadale, West Lothian.


Peter Weir

Peter & James Weir, Brickmakers, Airdrie and Lambhill Nr Glasgow. Photo by David Kitching.


Wellshot



This WELLSHOT brick comes from Cambuslang.   Photo and info by Scottish Brickmarks.

Wellwood

Made at Elgin & Wellwood Colliery, Dunfermline.  The colliery closed in 1950 but the brickworks survived until 1981.


Wemyss

Found at a recycling centre in Edinburgh.  Thanks to Joseph Hodgkiss for the contribution.  Wemyss Brick Co., Methil, 1906 - 1981.


Westfield



Found on the seashore at Bo'ness, West Lothian by Paul Shave, possibly made near Bathgate

Whistleberry



Whistleberry Brickworks, Hamilton, Lanarkshire.  Photo and info by Mark Cranston.

Photo by Frank Lawson.


Whitehill

Whitehill Colliery Brickworks was in Lasswade, Midlothian.  Whitehill Colliery (also known as Rosewell) was owned by the Lothian Coal Company, it was formed in 1890 from the Newbattle and Whitehill Pits.  The latter providing material for the neighbouring brickworks.  Most of the brickworks' workers lived in nearby Rosewell village which grew from a small village with a population of 133 in 1846, to 2129 in 1881.  Most of its population were miners.  Many of the newcomers were families who had left Ireland in the years after the famine.  By 1885, it had a handsome local church, a public school and a Post Office and Savings Bank.  In 1938-9 the brickworks was largely rebuilt, and equipped with new machinery.  By the 1940s the capacity was over 15 million common bricks per year.  It closed in 1977.  Information taken from the scran database.

Found near a lead mine at Wanlockhead

Spotted at an Edinburgh recycling centre by Joseph Hodgkiss.

A left over from construction of a bungalow in Edinburgh in 1935, photo by Joseph Hodgkiss



Photo by Alan Davies.

Wilson & Son, Barlinnie



Around 1997 the execution gallows cell in Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow was demolished and refurbished into a normal cell. A couple of bricks stamped Wilson & Son Barlinnnie were recovered and saved by a prison warden.. These bricks formed the internal door way of the gallows cell. They are of a bull nosed shape (1 x rounded corner) and they date from circa 1882 ' 1886 which is when the prison was constructed using convict labour. The whitewash as per the interior of the cell, still adorns the bullnose area of the brick. William Wilson & Son ' 45 Hope Street, Glasgow. Brick Works Craig Park, Victoria Road. Fire Clay Works Cumbernauld Road, Barlinnie.  Photo and info by Mark Cranston.

Alexander Wilson & Son, Dunfermline

Alexander Wilson & Son Terracotta Manufacturers, Lochhead Works, Dunfermline. For further information see the Scottish brick history website. Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

Photo by Ian Suddaby.

A nice paver found and photographed by Jamie Ramsay.


Wilson

Mark Cranston suggests that this is likely to be a product of the Bonnybridge Silica and Fire Clay Works where John Wilson was CEO between 1918 amd 1922. Photo by Ian Suddaby.


Thomas Wilson, Anstruther

Photo by Brian Whyte.


Wilson & Son, Glasgow

Photo by Andrew Greg.  Found in a backyard in Strathbungo, Glasgow.

Found by Philip Dikland in the ruins of the main house of the Alliance Sugar Plantation, Suriname, South America.  

Photo by Mark Annand, seen at Eilean Glas lighthouse


Wilson, St. Andrews

Seafield Mains is located 3.5km WNW of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Image PRBCO.


Winchburgh

Photo by Caroline Jamieson.

Winchburgh Brickworks, Winchburgh, West Lothian, ca 1873 - 1970s. Photo by Joseph Hodgkiss. 


W C Wood

William C Wood, Glasgow. Photos by Ian Suddaby.


Woodison Steel



Thought to be :-  E J Woodison Co., Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.  Possibly made by P & M Hurll Ltd., Glenboig, Lanarkshire for the Woodison Co. For more information refer to:
www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk/woodison-steel/
Photo courtesy of Mark Cranston. 

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