(Note – SBH – There appears to be conflicting information regarding the locations of the Darngavil, Craigriggs and Westfield Brickworks and information relating to each. If anyone can clarify or notices any mistakes then please get in touch).
Craigrigg Brickworks aka Darngavil Brickworks Ltd, Craigrigg Works, West Lothian.
Alternative brickworks include:
Canmore – Darngavil Brickworks, Craigriggs Works, West Field
The Survey of Scottish Brickworks published in 1985 states – Darngavil bricks.
04/10/1884 – Lanarkshire Upper Ward Advertiser – To let clay, blaize and fire clay, part of the lands of Dargavil for the purpose of making bricks – for particulars apply at Darngavil Colliery Office, Airdrie. (Note – SBH – Was there an early brickworks at Dargavil?)
Below – 1910 – The location of the future Darngavil Brickworks. (Hill of Drumgray Coal Pits).
01/01/1927 – Aberdeen Press and Journal – New Companies – Darngavil Brickworks (Ltd.), 21 Bath Street, Glasgow (private company), brick and tile manufacturers and merchants, clay workers and potters. Capital, £10.000, in shares. (Note – SBH – This company was likely started up to exploit and utilise the shale bing waste of the Darngavil Coal Company).
26/03/1932 – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser – Motorcycle 3½ hp 1930 model AJS. Excellent condition. Apply Darngavil Brickworks Ltd, Airdrie.
18/05/1934 – Motherwell Times – Fire brigades dash to Airdrie – Bellshill Fire Brigade was on Monday called to an outbreak of fire at Darngavil Brickworks, Greengairs, Airdrie. A fire broke out in the engine house and spread to a tank containing 60 gallons of crude oil. Luckily, the Fire Brigade was soon on the scene and prevented the outbreak from spreading to adjoining buildings. The oil was completely destroyed, but otherwise, little damage was done.
27/03/1936 – West Lothian Courier – … Of recent years Messrs Milligan and Grant of the Darngavil Brickworks, started a brickwork near Westfield and utilise this so-called boulder clay in the making of bricks. At present, a fine exposure of the clay can be seen at the face of the working. The clay will be about twenty feet thick, very tenacious and firmly compacted, so much so that no water can penetrate it either from above or below; but its most remarkable feature is freedom from stones and boulders. It would be extremely difficult to work it with pick and spade so they dig or cut it with the mechanical spade, cutting it down in a long slice, as one would cut down a cheese. Most stones in it are small pieces of white sandstone, upon which it directly rests. This sandstone has a snow-white colour and is of great purity, containing by analysis almost 97per cent. of pure silica. No doubt very fine glass could be made from it and it will prove to be a valuable asset on the removal of the clay above it, or on mining it, seeing it is eighteen or twenty feet thick. The bricks made from this clay have the typical blue colour on leaving the machines. After being fired the kiln they have a red colour; this is due to the iron having passed into the state of haematite. These bricks, if properly fired, should be difficult to excel in integrity and appearance. As already said, these bricks are not made from a clay, but from something harder and more enduring. A fireclay brick is made from fireclay, which contains a large percentage of the hydrous silicate of alumina and silica, with traces of lime, potash, iron, etc. This is a brick made from clay for the most part so differs distinctly from a brick made from boulder clay. If this boulder clay brick is well fired and finished, it will make a fine facing brick for outside work and could well afford to be left alone and not hidden by a veneering of cement or some liquid splash of such … (Note – SBH – This entry is confusing. The first line infers that the Darngavil and Westfield Brickworks were on different sites but I can find no confirmation of this).
24/08/1937 – Coatbridge Express – … McAuley and O’Hara were charged with having between 15th and 18th August. while acting in concert, stolen from a number of poles supporting electric power cables leading from the Darngavil Brickworks to Darngavil Mine, Greengairs, 3 cwts or thereby of copper cable …
1938 – List of mines – Owner – Darngavil Brickworks Ltd., 21 Bath St., Glasgow. Name of mine – Hill of Drumgray No.9. Mine operates with 9 workers below and 3 above ground.
Below – 10/06/1939 – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser – Lease amendment regarding William Black Rankin and Darngavil Brickworks and the fireclay and blaes situated at the Hill of Drumgray.
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30/11/1940 – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser – Darngavil Brickwork Company Limited fined £3 for displaying a light during a blackout ( 1 previous conviction).
Below – c. 1955 – Darngavil Brickworks although they are not marked as such.
Below – 1955 – The works at the Hill of Drumgray in greater detail.
Below – 1956 – Darngavil Brickworks.
1961 – 1962 – A directory of British clay products and manufacturers – Darngavil Brickworks Ltd, Airdrie, Lanarkshire. Tel – Greengairs 272. T. Address Bricks Airdrie. Makers of Darngavil clay and composition building bricks.
25/03/1977 – Wishaw Press – Darngavil Brickworks Limited’s application to start working an opencast coal and fireclay site at Parkside, Cleland, was approved, as were those from Wellwood Brick Company Limited for the working of and restoration of Allanton Fireclay Works, Newmains, and HiWarm Coal Company Limited for the working of and extension of the former Hartwood Colliery in Dykehead, Shotts.
10/06/1977 – Edinburgh Gazette – Change of name – Darngavil Limited (formerly Darngavil Brickworks Limited).
