Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

1938 – Lochside Coal and Fireclay Company Limited, Townhill, Dunfermline; Mine name – Lochside No 1, 2 and 3; Situation – Dunfermline; Manger – A.D McLuckie; 71 employees below ground and 11 above ground.

Below – 1938 – Lochside Coal and Fireclay Works.

25/03/1938 – Dundee Courier – Extension to Fife brickworks. Lochside Coal and Fireclay Company, Ltd., were granted a warrant at Dunfermline Dean of Guild Court yesterday to extend their existing brick kilns at Lochside Brickwork, Townhill. It was stated by the burgh engineer, Mr D. H. Shaw, that the company were adding four kilns and altering their method of use of the existing kilns. The plans were passed subject to the approval of the town planning authority.

20/10/1938 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – Another extension at Fife brickworks. Lochside Coal and Fireclay Company, Lochside Brickwork, Town hill, obtained a warrant at Dunfermline Dean of Guild Court today to erect four kilns and a chimney stalk at their works. Mir D. H. Shaw, burgh engineer, said there was a petition some time ago to erect additional kilns, and it was now proposed to erect four more. The chimney stalk would be 80 feet high. Submitting his annual report, Mr Shaw said the cost of work sanctioned by the court amounted to £153,973 compared with last years figure of £170,482 and £204,415 for the year 1935-36. The two previous years were exceptional because of the big jobs undertaken. Actually the total this year was well above the average for the last ten years. Of the total, £94,460 had been work for the town council.

Below – 1944 – 1967 – Lochside Coal and Fire Clay Works.

23/11/1944 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – A fine of £5 was imposed at Dunfermline Sheriff Court today on Peter Sim (21), colliery surface worker, 30 Baldridgeburn, Dunfermline, for leaving his employment with the Lochside Coal and Fire Clay Co., Townhill, on September 29 without the permission in writing of National Service Officer. The depute fiscal, Mr W. S. Heatlie, said the accused only worked one shift, and then applied for permission to leave on the grounds that he could not get up in time in the morning as he had no alarm clock. He had to start work at 6 a.m., and it meant getting a bus at 5.40. Permission to leave the employment was refused, but the accused left of his own accord. The accused, a married man, said he had been losing a lot of sleep on account of the child, and he could not get up in the morning.

02/03/1948 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – A workshop at Lochside Coal and Fire Clay Co, Townhill, Dunfermline was extensively damaged by fire.

10/12/1955 – Fife Free Press – British Railways lose protest. Fife firm granted additional licences … Mr John R. Ness, a director of the Lochside Coal and Fire Clay Co., Dunfermline, told the Authority that his firm produced 45,000bricks  daily and those had to be transported as quickly as possible from the yards. If this were not done, production was held up through lack of storage  …

Below – c. 1960s – 2 photographs taken by Bob Leiser from his bedroom window in Townhead Road.

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Below – 02/03/1963 – Payslip for James Robertson.

28/11/1964 –  Dunfermline responds to “more bricks” appeal – feature on brickmaking – Wellwood Brick Co, Lochside Coal and Fireclay, Lassodie (p22). (Note – SBH – I appear to have forgotten to record the source of this – does anyone know?!)

1964 – Hepworth Iron Company ( HIC ) – A subsidiary company – The Lochside Coal and Fireclay Company Ltd, has acquired the whole of the issued shared capital of Loudon and Russell Ltd. of Newmains, Wishaw, Lanarkshire and also the fixed assets of the Cumbernauld Pipeworks from the Glenboig Union Fireclay Company Ltd.

Below – c. 1970 – The entrance to the Lochside Works off Townhill Road. (Many thanks to Drew Mitchell for forwarding the photograph).

1975  – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests the works closed around this time.

1977 – It is believed the chimneys were demolished around this time.

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An undated product catalogue for Lochside Coal & Fireclay Co Ltd and Loudon & Russell Limited – Standard catalogue of clay drainage pipes and fittings.

Trademark – Hepseal jointed pipes. Sel sealing joint fitted at the factory eliminates cement/mortar and greatly speeds laying. The flexibility of joint safeguards the pipeline against ground subsidence.

“A pipe dream come true”

Hepseal – for sewers

Hepline – for road drainage

Hepduct – for conduit