Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Shidlaw Tileworks are 100 yards on the English side of the border situated on the Kelso Branch Railway and approximately 1 mile from Hadden Farm in Scotland. They are approximately 1/2″ from Carham Railway Station. (Note – SBH – I am referencing these tileworks as the claypit seems to run across the railway and right up to the Scottish Border and they would have undoubtedly had Scottish customers).

Below – Aerial view of Hadden Farm, Scotland and Carham, England and the red cross denotes the Shidlaw Brickworks.

Below – 04/12/1847 – Newcastle Journal – Shidlaw and Carham farms to let – a drain tile manufactory is now established on Shidlaw.

29/08/1851 – Kelso Chronicle – Shidlaw product range – including drain tiles, pipes and bricks – Horseshoe tiles, Copher tiles, ridge tiles, circular pipe with soles. Circular and elliptical pipes common and fire bricks, flue covers, flooring bricks, Kinnaird stove bricks, vent lining, chimney cans. retort bearers and gas retorts.

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08/06/1855 – Kelso Chronicle – Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works – On the Berwick to Kelso Railway. Drain pipes, tiles and bricks of all sizes and descriptions and of the best quality can now be regularly supplied at the above works or delivered free of carriage at all stations on the  North British Railways. George Barnes, Clerk of Works, Carham, Coldstream.

25/07/1856 – Kelso Chronicle – Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works – On the Berwick to Kelso Railway. Drain pipes, tiles and bricks of all sizes and descriptions and of the best quality can now be regularly supplied at the above works or delivered free of carriage at all stations on the North Easter, Jedburgh branch and North British Railways. George Barnes, Clerk of Works, Carham, Coldstream.

31/07/1857 – Kelso Chronicle – Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works – On the Berwick to Kelso Railway. Drain pipes, tiles and bricks of all sizes and descriptions and of the best quality can now be regularly supplied at the above works or delivered free of carriage at all stations on the North Easter, Jedburgh branch and North British Railways. George Barnes, Clerk of Works, Carham, Coldstream.

Below – 1860 – Shidlaw Tileworks, Carham. The works appear to run right up to the Scottish border on the Southside of the railway. (The Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works are not referenced on the 1896 map).

17/12/1864 – Kelso Chronicle – In stock at Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works, drain pipes, various sizes: also common bricks and flooring squares. Carham, Coldstream 17/12/1864.

08/12/1865 – Kelso Chronicle – On sale at Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works, drain pipes, various sizes. bricks etc. For price apply at the works. Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works, Coldstream. 15/11/1865.

12/01/1866 – Kelso Chronicle – Notice to farmers – The 2″ drain pipes at Shidlaw are all sold but there are still a quantity of 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2 x 2 1/2″ on sale Also common bricks. Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works, Coldstream 09/01/1866.

Below – 18/05/1866 – Kelso Chronicle. Thomas Scott at Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works had drain pipes, bricks and flooring squares for sale.

19/10/1868 – Newcastle Journal – Marriage – At Carham Church near Coldstream … Mr Thomas Scott of Shidlaw Tileworks to Janet Dodds of Birgham.

11/03/1870 – Kelso Chronicle – Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works – Wanted at these works, a man to attend the steam engine at 12th May next. A blacksmith who has had experience preferred. Apply to Thomas Scott, Lessee.

07/07/1871 – Kelso Chronicle – Shidlaw Tileworks – Now for sale at these works, culvert pipes made to form a circle of 15 to 18 inches diameter inside. Suitable for ditches or watercourses.

23/11/1883 – The Berwick Advertiser – Shidlaw Brick and Tile Works, Carham, Coldstream – R & J Watson are now prepared to supply bricks, tiles, draining pipes etc of excellent quality. Orders promptly attended to. Price list on application.

Below – 21/09/1909 – Berwickshire News and General Advertiser – Shidlaw Farm for sale. Mr A. Farquharson, Forester, Carham Tileworks, Kelso will meet applicants by appointment at the Farm or Carham Station. (Note – SBH – The reference to Carham Tileworks appears just to be an address for a house still located at those old works)

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Below   A visit to the site on 28/11/2018 with David Welsh revealed good insight with regards the layout of the works. Red bricks and tiles are scattered ad hoc over the site.

Below – left to right – 1. Brick waster. 2. Red clay frogless brick. 3. Red clay frogged to both sides brick.

Below – 2 firebricks on-site were stamped ‘Radcliffe & Co’ (Radcliffe Colliery and Fire Brick Works, Nr Amble, Northumberland, England ) and ‘John Grieve, Bank Park Fire Brick Works’ (John Grieve, Bankpark Fireclay Works, Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland).

Below – Note the thumbprint to the rear of the broken Radcliffe brick.

Below – This appears to be a ‘blacksmith’ made kiln wicket door. It was found on site. It appears to have broken, been repaired and then broken again. The metal plate should be twice the size it is. The top edge of the plate with the semi-circular hole in the middle has broken along this line. It has then been repaired with the 2 riveted straps to either side but these appear not to have held. One hinge can be seen on the lower section of the plate. The plate is 3/4″ thick, 11 3/4″ wide and 9″ high to the broken edge.

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Below – 2 waster clay drain pipes found on site. They are roughly 12″ long with a bore of around 1 3/4″ x 2″.

Below – The left-hand tile is either oval or circular with no flat base. The right appears circular with a flat base.

Below – Watson, Carham brick found in Kelso by David Welsh. This is not in my possession.