Canmore – Whaling Station, 1904 Gaunt remains of a long-defunct industry, with a lone, tapering red brick chimney rising from the foundations of the boiling house/desiccator. Little else but the carcass ramp survives. Founded by a Norwegian, Karl Herlofsen, the factory was acquired by Lever Bros in 1922 when the market was declining but was abandoned by them in 1929, a financial failure. Leverhulme never pursued his bizarre notion of turning whale meat into tinned sausages for Africans. The whaling station finally closed in 1951.
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Below – This ‘ 6 Hoganas HSB’ brick was found at the whaling station. It is a fire brick and was manufactured in Sweden. Photograph courtesy of Moses Jenkins.
Found by Hans Nilsson in the sea at Furuögrund, Sweden. Hans states – The brick was found in Furuögrund north of Skellefteå. Furuögrund was the port where wood products from the area where produced and shipped. At many places ballast was left. The ballast, usually stone not found in Sweden…like flint and sometimes even a…
Found at Manuel Works, Whitecross by Ian Suddaby. This example is not in my possession The manufacturer of this checker is unknown although the find site would suggest it was made at the Manuel Works, Whitecross’ Scotland. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor…
Found by Ian Suddaby at the old Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge. This was found in a pile of debris that contained large quantities of test samples that were marked for use in the brickworks laboratory. AL – 80 = 80% Alumina content. Höganäs Borgestad, brick manufacturers, Sweden. At Höganäs Borgestad, we started producing refractory bricks in 1825,…
Found at the old Bonnyside Brickworks, Bonnybridge. This was in a pile of ash and waste that contained many test samples from the Bonnyside Brickworks laboratory. The letters of the stamp are all raised. UCB = Union Chimique Belge S.A. Belref is a distributor in Mons (Saint-Ghislain). https://www.belref.com/ They are now specialized in preshaped products…
Found by Ian Suddaby on the tidal banks of the River Carron at Grangemouth. A Hoganas fire brick manufactured in Sweden. HSB – Hoganas Stenkolsbolag & anchor symbol. . . .
Many thanks to Jacky Brookes from Wester Ross for the following information. Jacky states – I found a fat ball on 21/03/2017 on my local beach, Melvaig in Wester Ross. It was large, about the size of my border collie dog. We brought the very heavy fat ball to our home which is local to…
These two bricks were found in the tidal muds at Grangemouth, Scotland and in the same location as a number of confirmed Russian stamped bricks. Their ‘yellow’ colour, size (narrow) and visual composition suggest they may be early Dutch bricks. One would appear to have the imprint of an anchor or perhaps it is a…
Found by Ian Suddaby. Ian states – Down and dirty at low tide in the bed of the River Carron at Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth. Even though I’m very close to the wharf where many Grangemouth bricks were shipped out in the years before WWI, I never expected to find three foreign bricks….
Found in Avonbridge by Joe Pason. Unidentified manufacturer. ‘RESCO’ or ‘RESGO’? The find location would suggest Scottish origins but … The stamp has the look of a Craigend Refractory, Falkirk stamp and it is of note it was found alongside a ‘Craigend Falcon’ fire brick.( Craigend Refractories also manufactured fire bricks stamped ‘Falcon A’. It…
Found by Kjell Myran on a beach at Hommelvik, Norway. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. .
