Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Broadlie Brickworks, Dalry, Ayrshire.

Canmore

Broadlie Brickworks, Dalry, Ayrshire This was the first of three common-brick works in the vicinity of Dalry which were built to make pressed-clay bricks from the coal-measure clays – blaes – deposited as waste during coal and ironstone mining in the 19th century.  These works were built at a time when rendered brick construction was taking over from masonry construction. The works closed in 1992 owing to a decline in demand for pressed-clay common bricks.

c. 1938 – Works started.

Pre 1939 – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests that the Auchinlea Quarries and Brickworks Ltd were the owners.

1939 – 1950‘s – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests that the Broadlie Brick Co Ltd were the owners.

01/11/1939 – Daily Record – Donation list … Jocks Box. Broadlie Brick Company per J Lochrie.

23/07/1943 – Kilmarnock Herald – Fines amounting to £15 were imposed by Sheriff Duncan at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on. Tuesday on Thomas Brown Blue, 20, brickworker, Drill Hall, Dalry. His agent pleaded guilty to various charges concerning taking and driving away a motor lorry at Broadlie Brickwork, Dairy, without either the consent of the owner or other lawful authority.

Below – c. 1944 -1967 – Broadlie Brickworks.

1950’s – 1978 – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests that A. Kenneth and Sons were the owners.

Below – 21/03/1975 – Irvine Herald – Kenneth Building Services Ltd, Dreghorn, Ayrshire. Oldest established makers of top quality bricks in West Scotland producing all strengths of common and load-bearing bricks up to class 6 – BS 3921. Brickworks – Broadlie, Dalry. Pitcon, Dalry. Anandale, Kilmarnock and Commondyke, Auchinleck. Also washed sand and gravel plant at Shewalton, Irvine.

1978 – 1984 – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests that the Scottish Brick Corporation were the owners.

1984 – ? – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests that the Glasgow Iron and Steel Co were the owners.

17/01/1986 – Irvine Herald – More than £100,000 has been invested in the past year on new plant and machinery to upgrade Giscol Bricks existing works in Ayrshire. The brickworks are Pitcon and Broadlie at Dairy and Annandale at Kilmarnock. A substantial market for facing bricks has been developed from the Annandale works with many orders coming from the north of England and more recently bricks have been supplied to a number of sites in the London area Southampton and Bournemouth. The development at Annandale is expected to ensure a secure future for the works and continuing employment for the 120 staff of a staff throughout Ayrshire. In addition to facing bricks to England, Giscol are also supplying common bricks from their Dalry plants to the Liverpool-Manchester area where they are being used to blend with existing buildings. It is intended to develop the Pitcon works to fully exploit this potential market. Giscol have spent a further £25,000 in providing access to a bing at Lamridden in North Ayrshire. The bing has 30 years of material which will be used to produce the traditional Ayrshire clay common brick, for example, well fired, sharp arrises and good colour The investment in the bing is all part of the process of upgrading the quality of products from Giscol’s three Ayrshire works. Production of bricks by Giscol is now considered of such quality that they were used in the restoration of property in Ayr where bricks of a certain specification were necessary. Pitcon were able to provide old imperial-sized bricks to closely match the rest of the development. With a quality local product available Giscol are disappointed that local authorities in Ayrshire have in the past 10 years used materials manufactured outside the area. An information drive will be mounted to make Cunninghame District Council, Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council, Kyle and Carrick District Council and other Strathclyde Region offices aware of developments at Giscol.

2018 – Site of the Broadlie Brickworks.

Below – Below – The Scottish Industrial Archaeology Survey published a report in 1985 entitled ” A survey of Scottish brickmarks. During the compilation of this report in which the survey officers visited working and derelict brickworks sites, many items of interest were donated or found. Many of these items were thereafter donated to the National Museum Scotland. The item below is one of these items. A brass stamping plate marked ‘Broadlie’ and an associated brick.