Monument record 4617/1 - Manor Brickworks

{1} Manor Brickworks. Large important brickworks to the east of Raunds, still there in 1970's. Photographs of buildings, processes etc remain in existence. Three kilns were in use throughout the period and 16 men were employed by the brickworks.

{5} This small brickworks was established in 1898. Points of interest were:
a Foster semi-portable overtype steam engine, formerly used to drive the clay preparation machinery but kept as a standby into the 1970's in case of electricity failure.
In the moulding of bricks, the moulder sprinkles sand on the steel mould and places it on the stock secured to his bench. After working up a lump of clay, this is thrown into the mould and the excess clay above the mould is taken off with a wooden scraper. The mould is then removed from the green brick, which is placed on a shelf to await removal to the drying rooms.
Open-sided drying sheds, once used for drying the bricks before firing in the kilns. The drying was, in the 1970's, done in rooms heated by waste heat from the kilns.
There were two round and one rectagular down-draught kilns. Two were oil fired but one was coal fired.
a brick-making machine, made by Page and Co of Bedford, was used at Raunds for making pipes which were lifted from the machine to the drying sheds by means of large round-pronged wooden forks.

{6} Between 1881 and 1883 the Raunds Ironstone and Limestone Co worked iron ore from this area and had a standard gauge tramway down to Raunds Station. However the ore was of low quality and eventually in 1898 the site was taken E Smith and Sons and a brickworks was erected. Further information on how bricks and tiles were produced until recently.

ELLISON M., 1998, The Brickworks and Manor Farm House and Buildings, Raunds (SMR Report Form). SNN53943.

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

<2> ELLISON M., 1998, SMR Report Form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN53944.

<3> ELLISON M., 1998, Photographs From Site Visit, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN52281.

<4> 1972, Photographs BX S 347, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN52341.

<5> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 1970, Industrial Archaeology In Northamptonshire, p.6 (checked) (Article). SNN103317.

<6> O'Rourke R., 1970, Some Northamptonshire Brickworks, (part checked) (Article). SNN103347.

Record last edited

May 10 2021 9:32AM