"Old Bricks - history at your feet"

English bricks page 14a - Li to Ly


A Liddell

Aaron Liddell of Shincliffe Brick Works was charged with refusing to pay a Poor Rate - Durham County Advertiser - 15 March 1867. Partnership of Aaron Liddell, Mr Lowe (butcher of Shincliffe) and Mr Sanderson (builder of Durham) at Shincliffe Brick & Tile Works ordered to be dissolved, partnership property sold and receiver to be appointed due to the inappropriate behaviour of Liddell - Durham County Advertiser - 19 February 1869. Photo by Chris Tilney.


Lightwood Brick & Tile Co Ltd

The Lightwood Brick & Tile Co. Ltd is listed in Kelly's 1928 to 1940 editions at 6, King Street, Longton, Stoke. Found on a 1938 OS map that this works is shown just off Stone Road, Lightwood, Longton. Info by Martyn Fretwell, photos by David Kitching.

Lilleshall Shifnal

The Lilleshall Company opened its mechanized Donnington Wood Brickworks on Pain's Lane, Lilleshall in 1876. By 1908 it was producing 3 to 4 million high quality bricks per year, but after the 2nd World War production declined due to expense & the works closed in 1972.  Info by Martyn Fretwell

Oliver Richardson spotted this one in Shropshire.



Found on an allotment in Shrewsbury by Mike Shaw.



 Found at North Shropshire Recycling yard by Martyn Fretwell.

Photo by Jason Stott.

Reverse of the Lilco brick. S B = Snedshill Brickworks.
Lilco was a trade name of the Lilleshall Company and used for glazed and firebricks, photos by Frank Lawson.

Photo by John Harrison.

Photo by Vincent Charles Douglas.



Photo by Martyn Fretwell courtesy of the John Baylis Collection.


Lily

The brickyard was established in about 1901, when Priestman Collieries Ltd took over the Lily Drift. Brick production reached a peak in 1955 at about 150,000 bricks per week, mostly for use at local pits. After 1964, high quality facing bricks were produced and were widely used in the North East, as for example at the Airport Hotel Ponteland and the Nuffield hospital, Jesmond. The brickworks closed in 1976.  See also NCB Lilley. Photos and info by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

Photo by David Kitching.


Lily

This Lily brick was photographed by Martin Briscoe in a display cabinet at Newhaven Fort, Sussex.  It is possible that Lily were actually the makers of the brick machinery.


Linby

Linby Brickworks, Wighay Road, Linby, Notts. is shown as being on the edge of the village on the 1875 OS map. The works or it’s owners are not listed in any trade directories that from around 1875 & only the claypit is shown on the 1887 OS map. Today the houses built on Peverel Road occupy this site. Info & photographed at Papplewick Pumping Station near Nottingham by Martyn Fretwell.

Photo by Phil Jenkins.


Lincoln

A W: Albion works, Long Heys Road.

Photos by Frank Lawson.

Photo by Chris Tilney.

Photo by Sylvia Siddans.



B: Bracebridge works



W: Waddington works

Lincoln Brick Co. operated five works during it's lifetime which spanned from 1882 to 1975. These were at Waddington near Lincoln; West Cliffe, Burton Road, Lincoln; Albion Works, Long Leys Road, Lincoln; Cross O'Cliffe, Bracebridge & Brant Road, Bracebridge.  Photos & Info by Martyn Fretwell.

Photo by Frank Lawson.


Lineker, Newark

R Lineker, Balderton, Newark, Notts. Post Office Nottinghamshire Directory 1855. Info by Frank Lawson, photos by Ben Powell.


William Liner

TIMOTHY & WILLIAM LINER are first mentioned in the 1847 POST OFFICE DIRECTORY for Northamptonshire, as brick makers. We then find that Timothy was born in 1804 & William in 1829, so presumably these were Father & Son. Timothy is then mentioned in Kellys directories for 1854, 1869 & 1877. By 1885 Kellys is listed as T. LINER (EXORS of) ROTHWELL & DESBOROUGH, sadly Timothy had passed away in 1880. Kellys 1890 lists Charles Liner, Desborough & Market Harborough. In 1898 & 1906 Kellys lists a Mrs. A. Liner, Desborough & Market Harborough AND William Liner, Rothwell. Then we find that for Kellys 1910 & 1914 William H. Liner, Rothwell. The works had certainly gone by the early 1920's. Photo and info by Nigel Furniss.


Lingfield 

Made in Lingfield, Surrey.  Photos by Richard Symonds.


Linthurst, Bromsgrove

Simon Patterson photographed this one at Avoncroft Museum


Lintz



Lintz Colliery Company, Burnopfield, Co. Durham. One of Durham's smaller colliery concerns, which via a series of owners operated in various forms from the mid 1850's to around 1924. The associated brickworks was an even shorter lived concern, being in production for no more than 20 years from the late 1880's. However, despite the relatively small size of the operation and its limited lifespan, I've recorded at least three distinct renderings of the 'Lintz' brand, with of course variations on the theme!  Photo and info by Arthur Brickman.

Photos by Chris Tilney.


Lion, Scalford, Melton Mowbray

Thanks to Darren Haywood for the photo.



Found on a a rough path on the Middleport pottery site, Burslem by Ken Perkins.



Photo by Richard Symonds, taken at Amberley Chalkpits Museum.

Liskeard





Carkeet Brickworks SX218732. Photos by David Kitching, part of the collection at Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum.

Lister



Photo by Mark Cranston.  One of Tyneside's pioneering brickmakers, reference to their first business venture is made around 1827 with the establishment of a brickyard at Low Benwell on the River Tyne, it's address being 'Benwell Fishery' and no doubt the rationale for the adoption of the impressed 'Salmon' trade-mark, which was carried on by their successors when their interests were sold in the 1860's, by which time they had two yards at Scotswood further west on the river; the Low Yard which employed some 50 hands, producing firebricks as in this example.  Added info by Arthur Brickman.

Photo by Chris Tilney.


Littleburn Colliery

The brickworks and colliery were situated at Meadowfield, 2 miles SSW of Durham. Photo by Brian Yates.


Little Bromwich



The Winterton family acquired land at Bordesley Green, Birmingham & established the Little Bromwich Brick Co. in 1899. The Little Bromwich Brick Co. is listed in Kelly's 1899 edition with John Henry Weston as managing partner. This entry is repeated up to the 1913 edition. Kelly's 1915 edition lists a second works at Black Pit Lane, Ward End (now St. Margarets Avenue). The next trade directory that I have for Birmingham is the 1940 edition and it still lists the Little Bromwich Brick Co. at Bordesley Green. The company went into liquidation and was voluntarily wound up on the 15th October 1951. Photo & Info by Martyn Fretwell.

Photos by Ray Martin.


Littlewood Brick & Tile Co Ltd

The Littlewood works was situated close to Croston Station in West Lancashire. Photo by Jason Stott.


Liverpool Building Materials Co: see under coping bricks


Liverpool & St Helens Brick Co



The Old Teapot Brickworks was in Sutton, St helens. Located just south of Phoenix Colliery, it dated back to 1880 when it began as the St. Helens Brick and Tile Works. The plant had a number of name changes until, as the Liverpool and St.Helens Brick Co., it was purchased by Wood and Co. around the turn of the century. see: https://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/suttonhistory/industry1/

Livingston Refractories Ltd

Livingston Refractories Ltd, Marshall Green Colliery, Witton-le-Wear, County Durham. In 1941 the business was working coal, ganister and clay at the colliery to produce refra tory bricks. The business seems to have been wound up in 1960.. Found a few miles south of Durham by Chris Tilney.


Lloyd / Mark Lloyd, Sutton (Coldfield)





Lloyd & Son were first recorded as brick and tile makers in 1872, with similar records up to 1886. The next record from 1892 changes to Mark Lloyd, a son born about 1848, as the owner of the brickworks. Later records exist for 1916 and 1926-27, with the last record being in 1930. Kelly's directory for 1908 records Lloyds Brickworks Ltd as being located at the Sutton Old Yard and Wheatmoor brick works. An O.S. map of 1889 names an area between Bedford Road and Whitehouse Common Road as the Sutton Old Yard Brickworks. This includes three marl holes and four rectangles, three estimated about 40 - 50ft long, one 100 - 125ft long, marked as kilns. Other buildings and what could have been a wagon track for hauling tubs up from the quarry are also indicated. A later map of 1903 also names the Wheatmoor Brick and Tile Works, approximately half a mile away at Lindridge Road, that shows a clay pit, a building and four circles, probably beehive kilns. Bricks imprinted "Lloyd & Son" were used in the construction of the Sutton Park and Sutton Town stations on the Midland Railway line that opened in 1879.



This brick would have been produced after about 1890, after the death of Charles Lloyd, born about 1815, and his son Mark Lloyd became the owner of the brickworks. The 1891 census records that Dinah Lloyd was then a widow living with Mark and his wife. After brick making ceased about 1930, both pits were filled, the Old Yard area later used for housing and the Wheatmoor area reverting back to agricultural land. Photos and info by Ray Martin.

Quarry tile by Lloyd & Son. Photo by Jacqui Simkins.


Loach



W. Loach & Sons are listed in Kellys 1879 & 80 editions at the Beech Lane Brickworks, Quinton, Birmingham. Photo & Info by Martyn Fretwell.

Lockhart

The Whitemoor brickworks had a complex history until 1872 when Walter Lockhart took it over and ran it until 1886 so the age of this brick is quite well defined. These were the first bricks to include the town's name.  Thanks to Robin Leach for the photo and info.


Lockley, Merridale

John Lockley is listed in the 1876 to 1884 Kelly's Directories at Green Lane, Merridale. Photos by Dave Hodgkinson.


Lockwood & Elliott

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection, found near Penistone.  Philip Rothery writes that this a product of Lockwood & Elliott, Woodsome Sanitary Pipeworks, Fenay Bridge near Huddersfield.


Lodge Colliery



The Lodge Colliery brickworks is first listed in Kelly's 1881 edition as William Hall, Lodge Colliery, Newthorpe. The entry in Kelly's 1885 edition reads William Hall, Gilt Hill, Kimberley. Kelly's 1888 & 91 editions is the same listing as the 1881 entry. White's 1894 listing is William Hall, Kimberley. Then the last two listings are William Hall (exors. of), Lodge Colliery, Newthorpe in Kelly's 1899 & 1900 editions. Lodge Colliery together with it's brick kilns are shown on the 1879 map, so it appears that the brick yard had just been established at this date & it coincides with the first trade directory listing for this yard in 1881. The 1913 map no longer shows neither the colliery or brickworks & trees are shown planted on most of this site. Today the Birch Industrial Estate has been established next to the A610 on the part of the site where the colliery & brickworks had stood. Photos by Ken Lord & Info by Martyn Fretwell.

Photo by Nigel Furniss.


Lofthouse

Photo by David Fox.

Photos by Frank Lawson.


Lofthouse Park

Lofthouse Park provided entertainment for the masses, 1908 - 1913. It was opened by the Yorkshire ( West Riding ) Electric Tramway Company and was situated at Lofthouse, 4.5km north of Wakefield, West Yorkshire.  'In the 1930s, Roper Brickworks moved into the Park across the road' Source: Peter I Wood, Lofthouse Park, in K. Taylor (edit) Aspects of Wakefield 1998.  Image PRBCO.


Lomax, Liverpool



John Neale Lomax & Co. (firebricks), 13 St. James Street & 88 Paradise Street, Liverpool. Gore's Liverpool Directory 1853. Photo by David Kitching. By 1871 J N Lomax was in partnership with his son John as Fire Brick and Soap Manufacturers employing 29 men, 9 boys & 3 women. Lomax senior retired in June 1884 and by 1891 John was describing himself as a Fire Brick Merchant. I have doubts as to whether this business ever manufactured bricks and suspect that these may have been bought in stamped with the business name.

Jeffrey Lomax, Kit Booth



Kit Booth was a smallholding close to some of these and it is likely that this firebrick was produced at a kiln in the vicinity. In 1868-69 the works advertised in the Rochdale Observer.

Kit Booth Fire Brick and Tile Works, Spotland, Near Rochdale. Jeffrey Lomax (late Lomax and Lord), Manufacturer of Fire Bricks, Channel Bricks, Boiler Blocks, Flue Tiles, Flat Tiles and Bearers, Chimney Tops &c, &c, and Articles for Gas Works, &c. J.L. attends at the White Swan Inn, Rochdale, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Photo by David Kitching.


London Brick Company

It has been estimated that a third of all the brick houses in England are built from London Brick Company bricks. The London Brick Company started production just over a century ago and usage peaked in the Post-War rebuilding period up to the Nineteen Sixties.  Maximum production rose, at one point, to an amazing 16,000,000 bricks per day.  In other words - quite common bricks!

there are a lot of photos of the London Brick Company on this Flickr site.

Photo by Phil Burgoyne.

The early brick presses only applied two presses to the powdered clay in the brick moulds. The trade-name Phorpres came about because Fletton Bricks made in Bedfordshire are pressed twice in each direction so that they are literally 'four pressed' if the phrase is pronounced quickly it becomes Phorpres!

This one is a tiny sample brick. Photos by Frank Lawson.

Photo by Andrew Morley.

Photo by David Kitching.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

A commemorative brick by LBC, Thanks to Simon Patterson for the photo.

This photo of an LBC sample cellular brick was supplied by Michael Shaw.  It measures 53 x 111 x 38mm 

A Charles and Diana commemorative wedding brick, photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

Photo by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection, found near Woolsthorpe, Notts.  Another of the Hanson casualties in 8/1984.  Situated near Ramsey, Cambs and started 1886 by Alfred Fuller; Warboys Brick Works Co until 1933; LBC & Forders Ltd until 4/1936, then LBC.  A 'Warboy's White' - they went over to land-drain pipes and hollow bricks 1950s. Now a tip.  Additional info by Chris Fisher.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

41 is the code number allocated by the London Brick Company to its Northam works which it took over on 23 September 1924.Photo by Danny Rigby.

Found near Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire by Frank Lawson.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

Found at Snettisham, Norfolk.  Probably made by LBC after they bought the Dogsthorpe Star brick works in the 1920s.  Photo and info Chris Dixon.



Showing the 40th anniversary of the accession, 1952 - 1992. These came randomly in packs of L.B.C. facing bricks. Photo by Alwyn Sparrow.

An old style LBC example, photo by Frank Lawson.



Photo by Martyn Fretwell.



 These bricks were made as a low cost alternative for load bearing party walls. Info & Photo courtesy of the Bill Richardson collection at Southwick Hall by Martyn Fretwell.



Made at the former Farcet Brick Co.'s works, near Peterborough. See Farco entry for info. Photo by Frank Lawson.



Photo courtesy of the Bill Richardson collection at Southwick Hall by Martyn Fretwell.

A tapered Phorpres marked 8ft diameter. Found at an old paper mill site in Barrow in Furness by Richard Comish.

Photo by Steve Reynolds.

Electricity tile. Photo by Peter Prest.

Does the 'L B' on this fairly modern brick refer to London Brick Company? Found in the Sheffield area by Andrew Richards.


London & North Western Railway

The London and North Western Railway even made its own steel at Crewe, so brickmaking was almost a given. The 1876 1:2500 OS map shows a large round kiln near to West Street in Crewe along with rectangular kilns within the works buildings adjacnt to the Chester line. By 1898 the rectangular kilns had gone and the round kiln had a standard gauge siding entirely circling the structure. There were also four more smaller round kilns nearby.  Info by David Kitching.

The L.N.W.R. was always willing to save money where possible and self sufficiency was the byword. In the mid 19th century bricks were often made on a building site, especially when large buildings were under construction. In a large enterprise like a railway new buildings were regularly required throughout the country, all needing large numbers of bricks. Large scale brick making began at Crewe in 1862 using clay from the cutting between the south end of Crewe station and Whitmore. The company had been paying 24 shillings per 1,000 for bricks from outside suppliers whereas company-made bricks cost just 16s.2d per 1,000. The bricks were handmade and so a lot of labour was involved.

In 1872 Chief Mechanical Engineer Francis Webb realised that the L.N.W.R. could make bricks more cheaply if the process was automated. At the time Crewe works were expanding and the clay spoil from the building site was dumped in a field where the clay sub-soil ran deep. Webb gave his Indoor Assistant and Assistant Steel Works Manager, John Aspinall, the task of building a 100ft diameter Hoffman kiln with a 114ft chimney. Two Pinfold brick making machines were driven by an old locomotive. Aspinall worked hard on the project and in the first eleven months about 4.8 million bricks were produced at the cost of 15 shillings per thousand. The brick making plant cost just £5,000 and gave a saving of 1s.2d per thousand, using mass production techniques. Aspinall described the final loading operation as follows:

Around the kiln is a line of rails, upon which the ordinary railway trucks run, and the finished bricks are loaded direct from the kiln into them, by two men who fill their barrows, wheel them to the trucks, and pile the bricks carefully inside, for 5.5 pence per thousand. One thousand bricks weigh three tons, and considering that this weight has to be moved twice and wheeled about fifteen yards, it is not a high rate.

Webb was so pleased with the success of the venture that he doubled Aspinall's salary. 

Info from the Wolverhampton History & heritage Website.

Photo by Hamish Fenton



 Found near Gayton on the disused S.M.J.R. line by Nigel Furniss.


Londonderry



Photo by Chris Tilney.  Londonderry Collieries, County Durham.

Probably produced by The Londonderry Co. (part of the Marquess of Londonderry's Estates) at Seaham Colliery Brickworks, Co. Durham. Photo by Frank Lawson.

Photo by Steven Tait.


Long Buckby Brickworks



Long Buckby is a village in Northamptonshire. Photo by Andrew Farthing.

Longley

This is an early lettered brick found in Leeds. The manufacturer might by Longley Bros of Hillidge Lane, Hunslet, or Thomas Longley & Sons, New Wortley who are both listed in White's directory for 1870 and 1872. Photo by Kevin Moyles


Longley



Commemorative brick.  Photo by Richard Symonds, taken at Amberley Chalkpits Museum.

Joseph Longley

Possibly Joseph Longley, 1848 - 1857/8, whose yard was at Hunslet Road, Leeds. Found within the rear wall of the Clarence Iron & Steel Works by the Aire & Calder Navigation, Leeds. Image PRBCO.


Longmead Brick Works

The Longmead Brick Works was located in Bishopstoke Hampshire. Photo courtesy of Bishopstoke History Society.


Longmore



Photos by Ray Martin.

Photo by David Kitching.



William Longmore, Hopyard brick works, Bentley, Walsall. The works appears in the trade directories at the beginning of the 20th century and has gone by 1940. It was situated on Bentley Mill Lane at the junction of the Anson Branch Canal and the Bentley Canal. Photo and information by David Kitching. Martyn Fretwell writes :- In Kelly's Directories, William Longmore is listed at the Hopyard Brick Works, Bentley, Walsall in the 1904 to 1940 editions. Photo by Ray Martin.

Longport Brick & Tile



Company dissolved in 1955, possibly associated with William Palmer's Longport works which may have been on Davenport Street in Longport.  Photo and info by David Kitching.

John Longson

John Longson is listed in Slater's Stockport Directory for 1883 as a brick manufacturer at the Canal Wharf in Heaton Norris, Stockport. Found close to the Mersey in Stockport. Photo by Jeremy Nutter.


J B, Longton see James Bettany


Longton Hall

Longton Hall Co. Ltd.,(George A Mitcheson receiver & manager), Longton Hall Collieries, Longton & Fenton, Stoke. From Kelly's Staffordshire Directory 1896.  Info by Frank Lawson.

Photos by David Kitching.


Lonsdale

Photo by Frank Lawson.

Lonsdale Brick and Tile Works, Cumwhinton, Carlisle.

The works was started by Claude Lonsdale as the Lonsdale brick and tile works. Kelly's Directory 1894 & 1897 lists Claud Lonsdale, Carlisle Tile and Pottery works.  By 1911 the site was owned by M. Richardson and Son and from 1910 to 1938 it is listed as Lonsdale Brick and Tile works but the site was actually bought in 1930 by the Carlisle Plaster and Cement Company who also operated the nearby Cocklakes plaster works. Photo by Mark Cranston.


Looe



Hannafore Brickworks, West Looe SX255523. Photo by David Kitching, part of the collection at Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum.

Loscoe

The Loscoe Brickworks was on Heanor Road, Loscoe, Derbys. and was in production from the 1880's to January 1976. When the clay pits were filled in & built over, a build up of methane gas from the material used to fill in the pits resulted in an explosion, destroying a bungalow. Fortunately without loss of life. Info & Photo by Martyn Fretwell.

Photo by Mick Farmer.


J Loughton (Senior), Solihull Lodge



John Loughton is listed in Kellys 1892 & 1900 Warks. editions at Solihull Lodge, Birmingham. His son John junior (see below) is also recorded as owning a brickworks on Garrison Lane in Birmingham. Info & Photo by Martyn Fretwell courtesy of the John Baylis Collection.

J Loughton Junior,  Paytons Brick Works, Garrison Lane, Birmingham



John Loughton junior is listed in Kelly's 1892 to 1900 editions with works at Garrison Lane & Yardley Wood, Kings Heath, Birmingham. John had taken over the Garrison Lane works from George Payton who is first listed in Kelly's 1867 edition. From Kelly's 1878 to 1883 editions the works is listed as George Payton (exors of), so John purchased the Garrison Lane works sometime between 1883 & 1892. Info & Photographed at Oldfield Reclamation Yard, Old Hill, Cradley Heath by Martyn Fretwell.

Love

Joseph Love (1796-1875), son of William Love, a miner of New York, near South Shields, County Durham married in 1825 Sarah, daughter of Isaac Pearson, timber merchant, of North Shields, Northumberland. Joseph Love became a wealthy miller, shipowner, property developer and colliery owner, associated in particular with Chester-le-street, Shincliffe and Willington, County Durham and Durham City. He was a generous supporter of the Methodist New Connexion.

Joseph Love and Partners owned Shincliffe Colliery and Brick Works which was about a mile south of Durham. Joseph Love (1796-1875) was also a partner in Straker and Love (S&L), Ferens and Love (F&L), Love and Partner (L&P). Info by David Oliver, photo by Chris Tilney.

Joseph Horatio Love and Partners. J H Love was the grandson of Joseph Love and was born in 1853. Photo by Chris Tilney.

Found in a structure on the Cassop Waggonway in County Durham. Photo by David Wigham.


Love & Partner

Love & Partners, see above entry. Photo by Steven Tait


E. Loverseed, Mapperley

Edwin G. Loverseed is listed in Kelly’s 1864 edition at Mapperley, Nottingham & this brick is very lightly stamped with Mapperley on it’s reverse. White’s 1864 edition lists Loverseed at Woodborough Road, Mapperley & there were many small yards on this road around this date. Wright’s 1874 & Kelly’s 1876 editions then list Loverseed at 86, St. Ann's Well Road & this will have been his home address. By 1877 Loverseed was running the Nottingham Builders Brick Co. on Carlton Road, Sneinton Hill, Nottingham. Info & Photo by Martyn Fretwell, courtesy of Nottingham City Museums & Galleries.


Low Laithes Colliery Co.



Found Overton, W.Yorks. 2014. Low Laithes Colliery Co., Low Laithes Colliery, Gawthorpe, Ossett, West Yorks.  Kelly's West Riding Directory 1912 & 1917. Photo and info by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

Low Moor

Probably from the Low Moor Iron Company which operated collieries and ironworks a short distance from Bradford in West Yorkshire. Photo by Derek Barker.


Lowe, Falkenhurst

Falkenhurst was a small area of Chadderton near Oldham and this brick was made in the vicinity in the early second half of the 19th century. I have so far been unable to identify anyone named Lowe as a brick manufacturer in the area or where exactly the brickworks was situated. Photos by Jason Stott.


Lowe & Sons

Started by Thomas Lowe in 1846, the brickworks is recorded in the 1857 edition of Kelly's Trade Directory. The company changed it's name to Lowe & Son in Kelly's 1880 edition. The 1896 edition records Lowe & Son, brickmakers at Ashby Road, Winshill, Burton and Shobnall Road, Burton. Photo & information by Martyn Fretwell.





Photos by Frank Lawson.

William Drury Lowe



Ian Castledine writes: WDL stands for Wm Drury Lowe as in Drury Lowe Colliery in Denby, Derbyshire, found at Flamstead drift.





W D L represent the Initials of William Drury Lowe a local landowner and industrialist. He owned several collieries in the Denby area in addition to the brickworks. The brickworks was sold to W H & J Slater in 1874.

William Drury Lowe of Locko Park, Spondon was able to extend the lands and buildings he had inherited after he invested in the creation of the Derby Canal. The canal made the collieries at Denby much more viable as the coal could then be transported around the country by canal, It is also assisted the creation of potteries at Denby which started on Drury-Lowe's land. Photo courtesy of Derby Museums.  Info by Frank Lawson.

Lowood, Sheffield

John Grayson Lowood took over the former chemical works at Deepcar, establishing a ganister mine and refractory works, which produced a variety of bricks and other basic industrial requirements, the business was registered on the 1st of July 1890. White's Sheffield & Rotherham Directory 1919: - Lowood J Grayson & Co Limited, Wharncliffe Colliery & Silica Brick Works, Deepcar & 76 Attercliffe Road, Sheffield & at Middlesbrough. Photos by courtesy of the Frank Lawson collection.

Found near the former steel works in Workington. Photo by Chris Shaw.

Photo by Ian Suddaby.


Lowry

Made by the partnership of George Edward Lowry and Walter Lowry of Penshaw Quarries and Brickworks Ltd, County Durham. Photo by Anthony E Gray.

Photo by Ken Cunningham.


Loxley

Thomas Marshall & William Crapper who owned the Storrs Bridge Brickworks in Loxley & records show
that they were at this works in 1864 when the Great Sheffield Flood took place. The duo are then
listed in White’s 1879 edition with the address of Loxley, Sheffield. At a date unknown Marshall &
Crapper went their different ways, Marshall stayed at the Storrs Brickworks concentrating on only
making refractory bricks & Crapper by 1893 Kelly’s Directory had moved to the Wisewood Brickworks just
down the Loxley Valley. Photo by Simon Patterson & info by Martyn Fretwell.


Lucas

Abner Lucas was born in Tunstall, Staffordshire in 1798. In 1820 he was jailed for two years for his part in the assault of a member of the yeomanry in November of 1819. Soon after his release he seems to have moved to Tyneside where he established a firebrick works which in 1837 is listed at Ayton Banks nr Gateshead. By 1851 he was employing 26 men and by the 1860s was in partnership with his sons Peter Lucas, John Lucas and Robert Abner Lucas as firebrick manufacturers at Eighton Banks, Dunston, and Teams, all in the greater Gateshead area. He died in 1865 with his sons continuing the business. In April 1879 John Lucas and Robert Abner Lucas of Low Fell, Gateshead, fire-brick manufacturers became insolvent with liabilities of £8,500 and assets about £8,000. Photos by Chris Tilney.

Photo by Steven Tait.


Lucas Brothers



The Lucas Brothers are listed in Kellys 1869 edition at Somerleyton, Suffolk with Daniel Knights recorded as manager. The brothers owned the works between 1854 & 1875. The 1882 OS map shows that a short section of canal was built to connect the brickworks to the nearby River Waveney & today this canal has been extended to form a marina. A web article states that the Lucas Brothers built a row of cottages using their own bricks next to the brickworks for their workers & these cottages still stand in the village today. Also see Daniel Knights, Somerleyton Brick Co. & Norfolk & Suffolk Brick Co. entries as they are all the same works. Photo & Info by Martyn Fretwell.

Lucock

Photo by Mark Howard.



Robert Lucock, brick and tile manufacturer at Langrigg, in the parish of Bromfield, near Aspatria.  Photo and info by Mark Cranston.

Photos by Chris Graham.


Ludlam





Front and back shown.  A. & Luke Ludlam, Boythorpe, Chesterfield, owned Boythorpe Colliery in 1858. Info & photographed at Chesterfield Museum by Martyn Fretwell.

Ludlow





More than likely these two bricks were made at the Ludlow Brick & Pipe Works which was on Fishmore Road & was in operation from around 1884 and closed in 1948. There are three other options where these bricks may have been made. One was next door to the Ludlow works & was called the Fishmore brick & tile works & was in operation from around 1884 and closed in 1903. The third brickworks was at the end of Belle Vue Terrace, todays Quarry Gardens is built on this site and this works is shown on maps from 1884 to 1924 & was closed by 1926. The fourth was the works owned by John Sheffield located next to the town's railway station and was operational in the 1890's. Info & Photo by Martyn Fretwell courtesy of Shropshire Museums.

Thomas Ludlow

This brick was found in a wall at St Thomas's Hospital at Edgeley, Stockport which was built in 1841. The likely manufacturer for this is Thomas Ludlow whose works was at Heaviley in 1834. The Ludlow family went on to establish a brickworks on Turncroft Lane, Stockport. Various references list James Ludlow in 1876 & 85, Samuel Ludlow 1865 - 92, T & W Ludlow 1876. From the mid-1880s they are listed at Reddish, but that is many years after this brick was made. Photo by Lyn Bostock.


Lumen: see Harris & Pearson, Stourbridge


Lumley

This one is from Chester-le-Street and features a representation of Lumley Castle,  thanks to Simon Patterson for the photo.

Photo by Neville Akers.

Photo by Alan Davies.

Photos by Chris Tilney.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

Photos by Chris Tilney.

Photos by Frank Lawson.

Photo by Edith Stewart.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

Photo by Michael Hawkins.

Photo by Steven Tait.

Photo by Tony Gray.

Photo by David Kitching.

Photo by Kirsten Ellis.

Photo by Chris Tilney.

Photo by Steve Smith.

Photo by Phil Burgoyne.

Photo by Anthony E Gray.

Photo by Mike Graham.

Lumley Brick Company was beside the Lumley 6th pit from 1870s to 1938. Early firebricks were marked Lumley with the outline of a fortified tower to represent Lumley Castle. Also produced enamel bricks glazed dark green, deep yellow, cream, and coffee brown. Clay came from the Low Main and 5/4 seams. Bricks were burnt in 6 circular downdraught kilns.
In 1937 Lumley Brickworks Ltd. re-opened an old brickworks and the fields next to it were opencast for shale. 2 Fawcett machine presses made engineering and facing bricks which were burned in 8 Newcastle kilns. In 1944 the Fawcett machines were prelaced by 2 Bradley and Craven presses. By 1950 there was 18 back to back Newcastle type kilns in 2 sets rows of 9. These were converted into a continuous kiln. an oil fired tunnel kiln was built in 1960. This was converted to gas in 1977 and the continuous kiln was disused. From 1980 bricks were made on a Spengler machine.

Information from Graham Brooks' website.


Lune


Found on Roeburndale Road, Caton Moor, Caton, near Lancaster by the site of the former Brookhouse Brickworks.  LUNE, BROOKHOUSE and LUNE 1965 bricks can all be found close by the former brickworks and so it is quite possible that this was made at the Caton Moor site.  'Rural Industries of the Lune Valley, Winstanley 2000' states the works operated between the early 1920's and the late 1960's making quality bricks from the local shale.  Image and info PRBCO.  See also entry for Brookhouse.

Photo by David Kitching.


Lunesdale



The Lunesdale Brick & Tube Company was established in 1874 by Thomas Baynes, a yeoman farmer of Hole House Farm near Caton, in the Lune Valley to the north of Lancaster. The company extracted clay and shale from workings in Potters Hill Wood, and transported the material via a tramway to the their works adjacent to the railway line in the valley bottom near Caton. A decision was reached in 1897 to wind the Company up to enable an amalgamation with the nearby Claughton Brick & Tile Company, and in 1901 the property and effects of the Company were sold to the Claughton Company. The Lunesdale Company works were abandoned shortly afterwards, as production became concentrated on the Claughton Manor site.  Photo and information by Ian Miller

Lunsford, Bexhill

Found in Hastings by Simon Patterson, some info on the works here



Embedded in the costal path behind Chesil Beach Dorset.  Photo by Bob Kennedy.

H Lustig



Made by H. Lustig, Goosegreen Lane, Thakeham, Sussex.  Photo by Richard Symonds, taken at Amberley Chalkpits Museum.

Lydgate



S Milner, Lydgate, Sheffield.  White's Sheffield Directory 1857. Info by Frank Lawson.

Lyttleton

Found in West Bromwich. I think that this is likely to have been produced at the Lyttleton Colliery just to the south of West Bromwich at some time in the second half of the 19th century. The colliery site was closed and cleared by 1904. Photo by Bill Whitehead.

Photo by Nigel Furniss.


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