Craigrigg Brickworks, Bridgehouse, Torphichen, West Lothian.

(Note – SBH – There appears to be conflicting information regarding the locations of the Darngavil, Craigriggs and Westfield Brickworks and information relating to each. If anyone can clarify or notices any mistakes then please get in touch).

(Note – SBH – Please read this page in conjunction with the Bridgehouse Brick and Tile Works, Torphicen as they may well all have been situated on the same site and known by the various names).

Craigrigg Brickworks aka Darngavil Brickworks Ltd, Craigrigg Works, West Lothian.

Alternative brickworks include:

  • Darngavil Brickworks Ltd, Darngavil Works, Airdrie, Lanarkshire.

Canmore – Darngavil Brickworks, Craigriggs Works, West Field. (Note – SBH – So were the Westfield Brickworks also situated at this location?)

Canmore

The Survey of Scottish Brickworks published in 1985 states  – Darngavil bricks.

  1. Craigrigg Works West Lothian. (pre 1938 – 1950’s).
  2. Darngavil Works, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire (1920’s – 1950’s).

The survey also states that Westfield stamped bricks were manufactured at Craigriggs Brickworks.

Below – 27/09/1927 – Dundee Evening Telegraph – G and J Paton, Builders Merchants, 9 Gellatly Street, Dundee. Sole selling agents Broomhouse and Craigrigg building bricks …

21/02/1928 – Dundee Courier – Modern house comfort – Attractive exhibition in Edinburgh … All over Scotland in many important buildings and housing schemes the Cambor Welsh slates, which this firm can produce in large numbers and with the minimum loss time, have been supplied. They have on view also Broomhouse and Craigrigg 3½ in. composition bricks, which have been used to a considerable extent by Dundee builders …

Below – 14/11/1931 – Brumpellier and Craigrigg Collieries in liquidation … Bradford and Craven brick moulding and pressing machine. pan mill, 16 chamber Hoffman kiln, etc … Craigrigg Collieries, Westfield near Bathgate …

27/03/1936 – West Lothian Courier – … Of recent years Messrs Milligan and Grant of the Darngavil Brickworks, started a brickwork near Westfield and utilise this so-called boulder clay in the making of bricks. At present, a fine exposure of the clay can be seen at the face of the working. The clay will be about twenty feet thick, very tenacious and firmly compacted, so much so that no water can penetrate it either from above or below; but its most remarkable feature is freedom from stones and boulders. It would be extremely difficult to work it with pick and spade so they dig or cut it with the mechanical spade, cutting it down in a long slice, as one would cut down a cheese. Most stones in it are small pieces of white sandstone, upon which it directly rests. This sandstone has a snow-white colour and is of great purity, containing by analysis almost 97per cent. of pure silica. No doubt very fine glass could be made from it and it will prove to be a valuable asset on the removal of the clay above it, or on mining it, seeing it is eighteen or twenty feet thick. The bricks made from this clay have the typical blue colour on leaving the machines. After being fired the kiln they have a red colour; this is due to the iron having passed into the state of haematite. These bricks, if properly fired, should be difficult to excel in integrity and appearance. As already said, these bricks are not made from a clay, but from something harder and more enduring. A fireclay brick is made from fireclay, which contains a large percentage of the hydrous silicate of alumina and silica, with traces of lime, potash, iron, etc. This is a brick made from clay for the most part so differs distinctly from a brick made from the boulder clay. If this boulder clay brick is well fired and finished, it will make a fine facing brick for outside work and could well afford to be left alone and not hidden by a veneering of cement or some liquid splash of such … (Note – SBH – This entry is confusing. The first line infers that the Darngavil and Westfield Brickworks were on different sites but I can find no confirmation of this).

1938 – List of mines in Scotland – Darngavil Brickworks Ltd., 21 Bath St., Glasgow. Name of mine – Craigrigg No 2 situated at Westfield. 1 employed above ground.

Below – 1938 – Craigrigg Brickworks.

Below – 07/06/1939 – Falkirk Herald – That the Coal Commission in pursuance of their powers under paragraph (b) of Sub-Section (4) of Section 3 of the Coal Act, 1938, have given direction for the exclusion from the operation of the said paragraph of the minerals and substances hereinafter specified which are comprised in a Lease dated 15th and 19th March. 1932, and made between Mrs Agnes or Clark, Elizabeth Clark and Alexander Waddel Greenhorn Clark of the one part and Darngavil Brickworks Limited of the other part, that is to say:- All shale, fireclay, surface clay, pit rubbish and ganister within an area of 200.88 acres Situated at Bridgehouse, Easter and Wester Wheatacres and North Luggiebrae in the Parish of Torphichen in the County of Linlithgow, which area is more particularly delineated in the plan annexed to the said Lease. Dated this 25th day of May 1939. Order of the Coal Commission, (Sgd.) C. S. Hurst, Secretary

Below – 1955 – Craigrigg Brickworks.

29/09/1956 – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser – Reference to the Darngavil Brick Co, funding a trophy as a prize for competitors in the Greengairs Horticultural Show.

26/01/1957 – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser – Reference to the employees of the Darngavil Brickworks Ltd, contributing to a floral tribute on the death of Flora Marshall.

25/03/1977 – Wishaw Press – Several mining applications were recommended for approval by the committee … Darngavil Brickworks Limited’s application to start working an open coal and fireclay site at Parkside, Cleland was approved …

06/05/1977 – Edinburgh Gazette – Reference to the Darngavil Brickworks Limited under a heading “Situation of registered office or change thereof”

10/06/1977 – Edinburgh Gazette – Reference to the Darngavil Brickworks Limited changing its name to Darngavil Limited.

Below – c. 1970 – A photograph believed to be of the Craigrigg Brickworks at Bridgehouse as forwarded by John Davidson. John also suggests these works were known locally as Bridgecastle Brickworks.

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