The London Brick Company was created in 1899 by John Cathles Hill. The company, which had sites in Peterborough and in the Marsden Vale, produced vast quantities of commercial bricks. So huge was the business that the company constructed the model village of Stewartsby for its many workers. It is estimated that 4 million London buildings are constructed with company bricks. So historically important was the Marsden Vale site in the rebuilding of post war London, that two of its chimneys and kilns have been listed, allowing them to be preserved for the nation. In 2008 the company was bout out by Hanson plc, which continued to run the Marsden site until 2008. In the end, it was EU sulphur emissions, which forced the plant to close, because the structures could not be modified to lower emissions.
The visit to this site was fascinating; the structures have been left more or less intact since the 2008 closure. The site is huge and Hansen still maintains one small section as an administration office.
|
|
|
