SLHS: Epsley’s Brickworks

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History

Certainly Stratford had a very successful brickworks. In a town that was rapidly expanding local clay was a boon. The clay was ideal and very red as will be seen from so many of the houses on Clopton Road, Birmingham Road, Guild Street, Arden Street etc. The map (right) gives an exceedingly large amount of information.


Large Amounts Of Good Quality Clay

It can be seen that excavation of clay and kilns for pottery and brickmaking were spread over large areas north and south of the canal -in fact as far south as the Workhouse. Arden Street, the busiest thoroughfare today, was hardly a track.

Cement & Gas Making

Adjacent to the canal were limekilns. William James’ coal was also unloaded for the gasworks (another was eventually built further south).

One Elm Basin -Original Terminus Of The Canal

Thus when first ‘cut’ the canal was widest by these kilns and only needed to terminate here. However William had made it clear that he wanted it to continue a further ½ mile to his tramway and the river so another lock was added to take the canal below the Birmingham Road. A hump-back bridge was built taking the original Clopton Road over it. This bridge remained until the 1960‘s when traffic lights were added. It was replaced in 197X.

Further Information..

  1. Official website: None yet.

SLHS Picture & Document Archives..

  1. Picture Vault:  Brickworks

Birmingham Road.     Later known as Shakespeare Brickworks.

Brickworks in 1924 (looking North)

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

Brickworks and standing pond   1907

Bricks being extruded   1907

Interior of the kiln   Date unknown

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Last update: 31/10/2024

Created: 13/09/2023