Scotland's Brick and Tile Manufacturing Industry

Found by Ian Suddaby at Spittal Beach, Berwick. This example is not in my possession. Castlecary Fireclay & Lime Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Note the thumbprint to the top right corner. . .

Found by Lou Coletti. Lou states – Here is a photo of a brick I found, last spring at low water, at the old CPR shipyard in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. The shipyard operated from the 1890s to about 1960s. Several sternwheelers for travel on Kootenay Lake were  assembled there in the early days Gartcraig…

Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for highlighting this brick to me which was found in the vicinity of the St. Petersburg Region, Gatchina Region, Russia by a brick collector, Alexander Korolev. It was discovered the stove of a private house. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein &…

Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Note the thumbprint to the bottom left. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Garnkirk. . . .

Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Dykehead Firebrick Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. . . . .

Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Heathfield Fireclay Works, Garnkirk. Note the thumbprint to the top right. . . .

Found by Ian Suddaby on the shore at Prestongrange. This example is not in my possession. The manufacturer is unknown but it is very likely to be a product of the Prestongrange Works. It is also believed that ‘Lion’ may represent the customer and indeed this customer may be the Lion Foundry in Kirkintilloch near…

Found by Claudio Ernesto Rios. Claudio states – The bricks were found in the City of Zárate, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In a fridge (almost totally destroyed today) the fridge’s name was Smithfield Refrigerator of English capital, built in 1903, so I would believe those bricks were manufactured in the last decade of the 19th century….

Found by Harley Plowman an old 1800s hotel site in New Zealand. Cardowan Fire Clay Works, Stepps, Glasgow. Note the thumbprint. Note the upside-down ‘W’. . .

Found by Eddie McLean in the Glasgow area. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. . . . . Below – A close up of the mark left in the clay by an unknown object prior to firing the brick.