Bricks and Brickmaking

by Martin Hammond

Bricks were introduced to Britain by the Romans and reintroduced by Flemish craftsmen in the middle ages. Until the early nineteenth century they were made in numerous small brickyards supplying local needs, but eventually increasing demand led to the invention of improved brickmaking machines and kilns. This book gives an insight into the surprising variety of bricks, as well as a brief history of brickmaking, descriptions of hand and machine moulding, drying, the use of kilns and firing. Despite competition from newer materials, brick still holds its own as a facing material and traditional methods still survive in the smaller yards.

32 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1981

About the author

Martin Hammond is headmaster of the Tonbridge School and has translated Homer’s Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.