Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Pitcon Brickworks, Dalry, Ayrshire.

Canmore – This was one 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. As these works were built in 1939 it seems likely that it was intended to satisfy wartime demand for bricks for defence works. The works closed in 1990 and were speedily demolished

1939 – Works built but did not open until after WW2.

1939 – 1978 – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests that A. Kenneth & Sons operated the works during this period.

Below – 1944 – 1967 – Pitcon Brickworks.

19/01/1951 – Kilmarnock Herald – Kilmarnock Sheriff Court – Robert Biggar, c/o 37 High Street, Irvine pled guilty to breaking into the office occupied by Robert Kenneth and Sons Ltd at Pitcon Brickworks, Dalry and stealing £6 6s …

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 operated the works during this period.

1984 – The 1985 publication ‘A survey of Scottish brickmarks’ suggests that the Glasgow Iron and Steel Company operated the works from 1984 until closure.

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 old Pitcon Brickworks.