Monument record 7197/12 - Irthlingborough Brick & Tile Works, The Three Chimney Brickworks

Opened prior to 1894. A tramway was constructed to link it to the railway. The works were closed in 1908, after which it became a tannery

{1} Brick and Tilemaking Works are shown on early map.

{2} The Irthlingborough Brick and Tile Works was also known as The Three Chimney Brickworks. It closed in about 1908 and the site was taken over as a tannery.

{3} This, the second brickworks in the area, was opened by A. Dunmore prior to 1894 and was styled the Irthlingborough Brick and Tile Works. A tramway was constructed from the Northampton to Peterborough Railway and was worked by two Manning Wardle locomotives. The 1901 6" map shows the works divided into two halves, one a very extensive plant with three continuous kilns. This would explain the name of Three Chimney brickworks which it got, even though locally it is remembered as having only two chimneys. Perhaps one of the kilns was demolished at some time. The other half of the works is somewhat, smaller and boasts three circular downdraught kilns. It seems reasonable to suppose that tiles and special bricks would be fired in these. Near here also was a complex of tramways
separated from the main branch. It would seem possible that this represented a dump where clay was allowed to weather for some time before use. The quarry for the works was about one-third of a mile north west of the works and connected to it by an extension of the branch.
These works were closed about 1908 when the site was taken over by Hatton, Shaw & Co. (Irthlingborough) Ltd's tannery. The remaining works were all connected to another branch from the Northampton and Peterborough railway, some way,to the west of the one described above, eventually passing under the Wellingborough to Northampton Road.

{4} Archaeological observation of a pipeline trench identified a number of features relating to the former brickworks/tannery, including brick/concrete wall footings, a brick floor base and demolition material. The remains of a sunken tank were probably associated with a water tower depicted in this location in 1927. Part of the tramway cutting was also observed. At the western edge of the site, just north of Randall Close, a large pit, probably a former quarry pit depicted on the 1900, was observed. The pit had been backfilled with several hundred domestic bottles and glass containers. A bronze army headress badge belonging to the Army Service Corp (1914-1918) was also found in the pit fill.

<1> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Industrial Period, (checked) (Digital archive). SNN4.

<2> STARMER G., List of Industrial Sites in Northamptonshire (Various, Including N.R.I.M.), (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN1444.

<3> O'Rourke R., 1970, Some Northamptonshire Brickworks, p. 17 (Article). SNN103347.

<4> Sharman T. and Morris, S., 2017, Archaeological observation, investigation and recording of the Irthlingborough to Burton Wold underground cable route, Northamptonshire, July and August 2017 (Report). SNN111101.

<5> Crank, N. (Editor), 2018, South Midlands Archaeology (48), p. 64 (Journal). SNN111393.

Record last edited

Mar 15 2019 8:49AM