This was found on the old site of the Atlas and Etna Brickworks, West Lothian.
Its is complete and measures 9″ x 9″ x 4 1/2″. It has the appearance of being salt-glazed too.
There were a few of these and they looked to have been used on-site and may have formed a floor through which hot air or gases would circulate.
Unidentified maker but they were found alongside many similar coloured Dourie bricks so they may well also be a product of P and M Hurll and their Gartliston and Garnqueen Works, Glenboig.
Find location would suggest Scottish origins …
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Below – The two photos below show the underside of these specials. Some of the holes are full of fused debris from small pieces of broken brick etc and also they show small molten fingers which appear to have dripped through from the products firing above.
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Below – This side of the specials is covered with a layer of fused debris and is likely to have been the side that formed the kiln floor.
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John Bramall states these specials appear to be products that were known as ‘holeyboys’ or ‘holey boys’. They were used as kiln car bases or intermittent kiln flooring. The blocks were placed with the holes uppermost and lowermost. I’m not sure about the debris in the holes but it could be some ‘roof melt’ from the kiln roof – usually, over time the cement lining between the kiln roof bricks dripped as stalactites and fell off from time to time.
Many thanks to Bruce MacDonald for the following photographs which were taken at The Sunbury Plantation House, St Philip Parish Barbados. All the bricks present were fire bricks and included English manufacturers such as Ruffors of Stourbridge, Cowen of Newcastle and Duddell of Fenton. 90% of the bricks present appear to have been stamped ‘Glenboig’….
Many thanks to Gustavo Coronel for the following information. This ‘Crater’ brick was found in lime kiln furnace No 5, Malagueño, Córdoba, Argentina. Gustavo states that bricks stamped ‘Etna’ were also found lining the furnace but no photograph is available as yet. Manufactured by the Etna or Atlas Brickworks, Armadale, West Lothian. . . ….
Found by Karine Pilon in New Brunswick, Canada. Etna Brickworks, Armadale, West Lothian. Alternative brickworks include: West Works, Armadale, West Lothian. . .
These were found by Lindsay Townsend in Cumberland, British Columbia, Canada. Lindsay states – Cumberland BC was a coal mining town (originally called Union), which operated 8 coal mines from the late 1890s until as late as the mid-1950s. The brick I found was near to the sites of the oldest two of these mines,…
Found by John Dory at Lithgow NSW, Australia. John states – The area had several shale mines at different times. These ones are from an area that mined shale from 1890 to 1920. . . . . Below – Atlas – Atlas Brickworks, Bathville, Armadale, West Lothian. Below – Morningside – Morningside Fireclay Works, Newmains,…
Found by Ian Suddaby at Coatbridge. This example is not in my possession. Atlas Brickworks, Bathville, Armadale, West Lothian . . .
Found by Ian Suddaby at Coatbridge. This example is not in my possession. Atlas Brickworks, Bathville, Armadale, West Lothian . . .
This tile was found by Marco Samaniego in the abandoned ruins of an old house in the City of Humaitá, Department of Ñeembucú, Paraguay. It measures 29.5cm x 29.5 cm. Etna Brickworks, Armadale, West Lothian. Alternative brickworks include: West Works, Armadale, West Lothian. . .
Found by Julian Phillips at Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia. . . . . Below – Morningside – Morningside Fireclay Works, Newmains, North Lanarkshire. . Below – Atlas – Atlas Brickworks, Bathville, Armadale, West Lothian. These ‘Atlas’ bricks were found alongside the ‘Morningside 01’ brick above and are likely to have Scottish origins although several…
This example was found by Jeffrey Wong Sang on the Constance Estate, South Trinidad. Jeffrey states – The ‘Etna’ bricks are from the old Constance Estate and can be found in the sand as the sea reclaims the land and destroys the houses in its march forward. This was once a coconut estate. Etna Brickworks,…
