(Note – SBH – I believe Drumgrew Brickworks and Gartshore Brickworks are one of the same.)
1867 – William Baird and Co, Coal and Iron Stone Owners, Gartshore.
06/12/1933 – Kirkintilloch Herald – Brick manufacturing – Messrs William Baird and Co have started operations for the erection of a brickwork at Drumgrew, in the immediate vicinity of the refuse bing at their Gartshore colliery.
03/08/1934 – Midlothian Advertiser – The first consignment of bricks was despatched at the weekend from the new works erected at Gartshore, Dumbartonshire by Messrs Wm Baird and Co Ltd, coalmasters.
Below – 30/12/1935 – Dundee Courier – Gartshore composition bricks advert.
15/01/1937 – Kirkintilloch Gazette – Twechar. The main body of workers at Drumgrew Brickworks struck work on Thursday on a demand for increased wages. A restart was made on Monday.
06/04/1937 – Dundee Courier – David Symons, (14), residing at Twechar near Kilsyth was crushed to death yesterday afternoon when working at Drumgrew Brickwork. He was fastening hutches onto a haulage chain when he was dragged into the haulage wheel. He had been working there only a week or two.
Below – 29/04/1938 – The Scotsman – William Baird advert – references Gartshore brick brand.
24/01/1940 – Kirkintilloch Herald – Assault at Gartshore Brickworks. 2 female workers fighting. It was just after the day’s work. They were inside the works. They were going to the bothy to change clothes. The accused pled guilty to assault. Fined 10 shillings or 10 days.
1947 – The National Coal Board became owners.
Below – 1957 – Gartshore/Drumgrew Brickworks.
1961 – 1962 – A directory of British clay products and manufacturers – Gartshore Brickworks (see NCB Scottish Division, Central – East and West area. Common bricks. Tradename Gartshore.
08/02/1963 – West Lothian Courier – National Coal Board. Central Area review. 1962 – The Central Area was formed at the beginning of the year by amalgamating the Central East and Central West areas … Brickworks – There are six brickworks operating in this area, namely Barbauchlaw, Blantyreferme, Gartshore and Gateside, Newton and Northfield. Some 54 1/2 million bricks were produced during the year. These works now come under the Brickworks Executive. which was formed earlier this year …
1969 – 1981 – Scottish Industrial Archaeology Survey booklet states the Scottish Brick Corporation were the owners.
1981 – Brickworks closed?
Below – 28/04/1989 – Daily Record – Russlite (Scotland) Ltd, Gartshore Works, Twechar, Kilsyth – selling concrete block bricks (Note – SBH – Did Russlite operate the Gartshore Brickworks site?)
Below – 18/09/1998 – Daily Record – Russell Concrete Products Ltd.
The following refractory castable test samples were found during ground works at the Manuel Brickworks, Whitecross by Ian Suddaby and myself. These laboratory test samples are cement-based and have been marked with a marker type pen. Below – The cut edge of each sample. Below – some close up photographs of the cut edge. ….
Found at the Alloa Tileworks, Forthbank. These roof tiles appear to have been pressed or moulded using a cement mix. Alloa Tileworks, Forthbank, Alloa, Stirlingshire. . . . .
Alloa Tileworks, Forthbank, Alloa, Stirlingshire. 1913 – Works not present on this map. Below – 1946 – Alloa Tileworks, Forthbank (At B.M. – 20.28) Below – 1951 – Alloa Tileworks, Forthbank. Below – 1967 – Alloa Tileworks, Forthbank. Below – An assemblage of ‘Alloa’ roof tiles found on site. These look as if they are…
Many thanks to Lindsay Smith and Ian Roy for assisting in the finding and recovery of this brick from the Newpark Estate in Bellsquarry, Livingston area. Shotts Sand-Lime Brickworks, Shotts, North Lanarkshire aka locally as the ‘White Brickworks’. 06/05/1924 – The Scotsman – Electrical engineer’s visit to Shotts Works – Members of the West of…
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Dumbarton area. This example is not in my possession. Scottish Dunbrik Ltd, Stannergate, Dundee. . . . .
Russell Roof Tiles Below – 20/09/1990 – Galloway News – Russell Roof Tiles Ltd wish to recruit an Assistant Production Manager for their production facility at Lochmaben Nr Lockerbie The Company which is a member of the Alexander Russell Group of Companies manufactures quality roof tiles slates together with accessories in a highly competitive market…
Russell Roof Tiles 11/06/1987 – Galloway News – The Annandale Tile Co (1986) Ltd manufacturers of quality concrete roof tiles is a recently acquired subsidiary of the Alexander Russell group of companies. Their plans for business development have created an opportunity for an additional sales executive to represent their product range throughout North Cumbria, Borders…
Found by Ian Suddaby. These examples are not in my possession. They are made from cement/concrete, not clay. Ian states – These roof tiles were made by Russell Roof Tiles, possibly at Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire. The company was started near Glasgow by Alexander Russell in 1892. They’re made of a type of concrete, not clay. Nice though, and…
Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Scottish Brick Corporation. Note the 2 linear lugs below the ‘B’. Following the nationalisation of the coal industry in 1947, the National Coal Board (NCB) inherited a number of brickworks. Around 1969, saw the NCB selling off its brickworks with the Scottish Brick Corporation (SBC) taking over…
In ‘The British Clay Worker’ magazine dated 15/12/1952 there is an article entitled ‘Recent patents. An improvement hollow building brick or block. Stanislaw Sulich, 35 Grampian Road, Torry, Aberdeen. No 682,010’. This invention relates to an improvement in or modification of the building brick or block claimed and described in Patent No 607,557. This invention…
