Found Newcastle upon Tyne.
Produced at the Bute Colliery Brickworks at High Spen in the Derwent Valley, these bricks are often assumed to be of Scottish manufacture. Garesfield Collieries, the original owners of the pit, were a Tyneside based concern, the Scottish connection being that the Mineral Rights were owned by the Marquis of Bute, the bricks were therefore named accordingly, and helped differentiate the products of their various operations – Arthur Brickman. (Note – SBH – Although these bricks were not manufactured in Scotland I have included them due to the Scottish connection)
Below – A Bute brick found by Tucker Kennedy on the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left.
Below – A circle fire brick.
Below – A similarly named building brick, also found in Newcastle.
Below – A similarly named building brick, also found in Newcastle.
Below – A similarly named building brick, found in Northumbria. The 4 ‘holes’ do not penetrate all the way through. The brick measures 9″ x 4″ x 3″. The ‘holes’ are tapered to a bevelled stop. Including the frog depth, the holes are 1 3/4″ deep.
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Below – Another variation found by Brian Wardell in Northumbria.
Below – 1925 – Consett Iron Company catalogue – refers to hand made Bute fireclay bricks from Garesfield Colliery.
Below – 1925 – Consett Iron Company catalogue – Delves firebricks but also reference to Bute bricks.
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for highlighting this brick to me which was found in the vicinity of the St. Petersburg Region, Gatchina Region, Russia by a brick collector, Alexander Korolev. It was discovered the stove of a private house. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein &…
Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Garnkirk. . . .
Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Garnkirk. Note the thumbprint to the top right. . . .
Found by Ian Suddaby on the shore at Prestongrange. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer is unknown but it is very likely to be a product of the Prestongrange Works. It is also believed that ‘Lion’ may represent the customer and indeed this customer may be the Lion Foundry in Kirkintilloch near…
Found by Claudio Ernesto Rios. Claudio states – The bricks were found in the City of Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a fridge (almost totally destroyed today) the fridge’s name was Smithfield Refrigerator of English capital, built in 1903, so I would believe those bricks were manufactured in the last decade of the 19th century….
Found by Ian Suddaby in Haddington, East Lothian. This example is not in my possession. Wemyss Brick Co. Various works in the Aberhill, Denbeath and Methil areas of Fife. This is a 3 cored example. . . .
Found by Harley Plowman an old 1800s hotel site in New Zealand. Cardowan Fire Clay Works, Stepps, Glasgow. Note the thumbprint. Note the upside-down ‘W’. . .
Found by Ian Suddaby at Bonnyside, Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. James Dougall & Sons Ltd, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire Alternative brickworks include: Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. Below – A similar stamp with a thumbprint to the top right. Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area.
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer of this fire brick is unknown. The find location would suggest Scottish origins but … Ian states – Another pile of sieved bricks at the Dalzell/Colville Steelworks dumping ground in Motherwell and another very interesting find. This firebrick is…
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Ravenscraig, Motherwell area. This example is not in my possession. Note the thumbprint to the top right. Lilliehill Fireclay Works, Townhill, Dunfermline, Fife – Robert Lindsay, brick manufacturer. . .
