York Handmade Brick Company

Last updated

York Handmade Brick Company
Type Private
Industry Brickmaking
PredecessorAlnebrick
Founded1988
FounderDavid Armitage
Headquarters
Alne, North Yorkshire
,
England
Key people
David Armitage (chairman)
Revenue£2.275 million (2018–19 [1] )
Number of employees
30 (2019)
Website Official website

The York Handmade Brick Company is a specialist brickmaker based in the village of Alne, North Yorkshire, England. The company was founded in 1988 from a previous brickmaking venture on the same site and has won many awards for projects that its bricks have been used in, and has supplied bricks for several notable buildings throughout the United Kingdom.

Contents

History

A company named either Alne Brickwork Co. or Alnebrick had been operating on the site at Alne since the 1930s when it was bought in 1988 by David Armitage, who retains the chairmanship, though his son runs the day-to-day business. [2] [3] The brickworks is located in Forest Lane, Alne, and was also formerly a pipeworks with excellent clay resources on site which had been utilised for brick-making since the 1930s. [4] [5] Up until 1986, a narrow-gauge 2-foot (0.61 m) brickworks railway also operated on the site conveying quarried clay to the working sheds. [6] The new company applied for an extension to its quarrying area and in 1998, a 25-year operation started that would yield over 500,000 tonnes (550,000 tons) of clay from the land surrounding the works. [7]

In the financial year 2018–2019, the company turnover was £2.5 million and it had 30 employees. [8]

Besides having its bricks used in buildings such as The Shard and London Bridge railway station, [9] [10] [11] the company's London Yellow bricks are also used for housebuilding in the Greater London area, which saw York Handmade produce over 130,000 bricks for this market. [12] A contract in 2010 to supply 400,000 bricks for Chetham's School of Music was valued at over £500,000. [13]

The company have also supplied bricks for repairing bridges over the River Swale in North Yorkshire, [14] larger bricks to repair the city walls of Rostok in Germany and they have also been exported to America and Japan. [4] One of their most expensive brick creations was for the One Molyneux Street housing complex in Marylebone in London. Each brick cost £793, with 116,000 being used in the construction. According to one property journalist, the bricks are the second most expensive ever created. [15]

In 2012, the company was featured in an episode of the Guy Martin fronted programme How Britain Worked. The team at York Handmade helped Martin create a brick in an episode entitled Coal. [16] In 2014, the company was asked to supply 47,000 bricks for a restoration project at Dumfries House in Ayrshire. The bricks themselves resembled the ones used at Hampton Court Palace and were designed by Prince Charles. [17]

Significant projects

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornaby-on-Tees</span> Town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Thornaby-on-Tees, commonly referred to as Thornaby, is a town and civil parish on the River Tees's southern bank. It is in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England. The parish had a population of 24,741 at the 2011 census, in the Teesside built-up area.

John Gordon Dower was an English civil servant and architect, who, as secretary of the Standing Committee on National Parks, produced in 1945 the first post-war official report which set out what National Parks in England and Wales should be like.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wensleydale Railway</span> Heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alne, North Yorkshire</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Alne is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England, about twelve miles north-west of York and four miles from Easingwold. The parish has a population of 711, increasing to 756 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyburn railway station</span> Railway station in North Yorkshire, England

Leyburn railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway, a seasonal, heritage service and serves the town of Leyburn in North Yorkshire, England. During the summer months it is served by at least three trains per day; at other times of the year the service is mainly at weekends and public holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redmire railway station</span> Railway station in North Yorkshire, England

Redmire railway station is the current western terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the village of Redmire in North Yorkshire, England. It is the second busiest station on the Wensleydale Railway in terms of passenger numbers owing to its status as the western terminus of the line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appersett</span> Hamlet in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England

Appersett is a hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England one mile (1.6 km) west of Hawes. It lies on the A684 road and an unclassified road runs alongside Widdale Beck to connect with the B6255 road between Hawes and Ingleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grimwith Reservoir</span> Reservoir in North Yorkshire, England

Grimwith Reservoir is located in the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. It was originally built by the Bradford Corporation as one of eleven reservoirs in the Yorkshire Dales to supply fresh water to Bradford. It is the largest reservoir owned by Yorkshire Water in terms of water storage. It is near the villages of Appletreewick, Burnsall, Hartlington, Hebden, and Skyreholme.

Bedale High School is a coeducational, community school situated on Fitzalan Road, Bedale, North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tour de Yorkshire</span> Cycling competition held in Yorkshire

The Tour de Yorkshire is a road cycling race in the historic county of Yorkshire, England which first took place in May 2015. It is promoted by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and is rated as a 2.HC event as part of the UCI Europe Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway</span>

The Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway, was an east–west railway line that connected Darlington and Barnard Castle in County Durham, England. Besides the main running line, it had two branches that headed south into Yorkshire that were only used for freight. The whole system opened up by July 1856 and was closed completely by 1966. The former Merrybent freight branch is now used as part of the A1(M) road that bypasses to the west of Darlington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friarage Hospital</span> Hospital in North Yorkshire, England

Friarage Hospital is a 189-bed hospital located in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England. The hospital covers a large section of rural North Yorkshire and the Vale of York which amounts to over 120,000 people in 390 square miles (1,000 km2). The hospital is run by the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is one of six hospitals in the trust's portfolio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Peter, Croft-on-Tees</span> Church in North Yorkshire, England

The Church of St Peter, Croft-on-Tees is a 12th century grade I listed parish church in the village of Croft-on-Tees in North Yorkshire, England. Artefacts and carvings inside the church are believed to have given rise to many of the characters created by Lewis Carroll, who as a child, attended St Peter's in the 1840s when his father was rector of the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Rail Operating Centre</span> Regional railway signalling centre in York, Northern England

York Rail Operating Centre is a Rail operating centre (ROC) located at the south western end of York railway station in York, England. The site is one of twelve that will control all signalling across the mainland of the United Kingdom. It was opened in stages from 2014 onwards, with responsibility for signalling becoming active in January 2015. The York ROC accepted the role of its predecessor, the adjacent York Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC), in December 2018.

Masons Gin is a gin based alcoholic drink distilled by the Mason family in North Yorkshire, England. The brand has won many awards and accolades despite only being set up in 2013. It had a distillery and shop in Aiskew, North Yorkshire, which was moved to a new site in Leeming Bar, after a fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grinton Smelt Mill</span> Lead working site in Yorkshire, England

Grinton Smelt Mill is a ruined lead mining and processing site on Cogden Moor, south of Grinton in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, England. The site was built in its present form c. 1820 for the specific purpose of processing lead won by hushing and hydraulic mining. The buildings and stone flue are now grade II* listed structures and all are scheduled monuments. The site is recognised as being the best preserved lead mining site in the Yorkshire Dales.

Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team is one of five search and rescue teams based in the North East region of England. The team is based in the village of Great Ayton in North Yorkshire. They were called out to 61 incidents in 2019, and 58 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Yorkshire Dales floods</span> July 2019 floods in the Yorkshire Dales, England

In July 2019, parts of the Yorkshire Dales, in North Yorkshire, England, were subjected to above average rainfall for the time of year. The flash-flooding that followed affected many communities destroying bridges, sweeping roads away, causing landslips on railway lines and resulting in at least one public event being cancelled. The flooding even inundated the fire station in the town of Leyburn, in Wensleydale, whilst the crew were out helping those in need. The recovery took many weeks and months, with immediate help by the rescue services being bolstered by British Army personnel who assisted with the clean up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allerton waste recovery park</span> Waste recovery and incineration plant in North Yorkshire, England

Allerton waste recovery park is a waste recovery and incineration site located on a former quarry at Allerton Mauleverer, near Knaresborough, England. It is operated by AmeyCespa on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council, the site is capable of handling 320,000 tonnes of household waste per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Northallerton bridge</span> Road bridge in North Yorkshire, England

The North Northallerton bridge is a road bridge straddling the Northallerton–Eaglescliffe railway line in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England. The bridge is on a link road connecting the A167 in the west, and the A684 in the east and in part, is intended to provide relief for the congestion caused in Northallerton due to the many level crossings which hold up road traffic. The link road runs through a set of new housing estates between Northallerton and Brompton, and has been beset by delays, originally intended for opening in late 2021, it was opened on 16 December 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Bridgen, Mike (27 March 2020). "Brick company's best year will help deal with virus". Darlington & Stockton Times. No. 13–2020. p. 56. ISSN   2516-5348.
  2. ↑ Mitchinson, James, ed. (10 March 2022). "Not just another brick in the wall – firm looks back on long history". The Yorkshire Post. p. 8. ISSN   0963-1496.
  3. ↑ Casci, Mark (8 January 2018). "Profile: David Armitage, York Handmade Brick Company" . The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  4. 1 2 Wilkinson, Paul (8 August 2003). "All for the love of a good brick". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  5. ↑ Bean, Dan (26 March 2018). "York brick worker designs and creates new machinery". York Press. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  6. ↑ Shepherd, Cliff, ed. (1993). "Alne Brick Co Ltd". The Industrial Railway Record. Birmingham: Industrial Railway Society (139): 394. ISSN   0537-5347.
  7. ↑ "Brick firm to build on 10 successful years" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 24 June 1998. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "Brick company enjoys one of most successful years in its history" . Darlington and Stockton Times. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  9. 1 2 "York Handmade supplies bricks to London's iconic Shard development". York Press. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  10. ↑ Bridgen, Mike (13 April 2018). "York Handmade bricks used in London projects" . Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "York Handmade wins tallest building contract". Insider Media Ltd. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  12. ↑ Bridgen, Mike (3 March 2018). "York Handmade to make yellow bricks for London's houses". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "York Handmade supplies bricks to London's iconic Shard development" . York Press. 3 February 2011A. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "Brick company cements reputation with award" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 10 December 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  15. ↑ Knowsley, Jo (15 October 2019). "Property: The most expensive bricks in the world (apart from a gold Lego one, that is)". Metro Newspaper UK. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  16. ↑ "York brick firm to feature in television series". infoweb.newsbank.com. 3 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  17. ↑ Richardson, Andy (11 August 2014). "Prince Charles praises northern brickies" . infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  18. ↑ "York Handmade Brick Company lined up to help restore Highbury Stadium". York Press. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Centres of success for Handmade" . The Yorkshire Post. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  20. ↑ "York Handmade completes £15,000 contract". Insider Media Ltd. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  21. ↑ Darley, Karen (20 November 2013). "Yorkshire company supplies bricks for injured jockey's centre". Gazette & Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  22. ↑ Bridgen, Mike (16 May 2014). "Racecourse's new look is thanks to brick firm". infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  23. ↑ Hitchen, Andrew (3 June 2016). "York Handmade Brick company provides 30,000 bricks to create new library building" . York Press. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  24. ↑ Lavigueur, Nick (27 August 2017). "Opening date set for new £9m Halifax central library". Huddersfield Examiner. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  25. ↑ Knowlson, Laura (22 June 2017). "Brick order flies out". York Press. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  26. ↑ "York Handmade Brick plays pivotal role in new art and design centre at Pocklington school , The York Handmade Brick Co Ltd | Articles | Articles and news | Building Centre". buildingcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  27. ↑ Snowden, Ros (16 July 2018). "Yorkshire firm lends expertise to iconic Scottish church" . The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  28. ↑ Bridgen, Mike (1 November 2019). "Company makes mark in capital with bricks for station". Darlington & Stockton Times. No. 44–2019. p. 69. ISSN   2516-5348.
  29. ↑ Knowlson, Laura (12 April 2018). "Brick maker's London order" . York Press. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  30. ↑ "London's biggest £92m brick building launched". London Property News | londonlovesproperty.com. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  31. ↑ Chapman, Hannah, ed. (8 November 2019). "Contract to supply bricks for cathedral". Darlington & Stockton Times. No. 45–2019. p. 60. ISSN   2516-5348.
  32. ↑ Chapman, Hannah, ed. (17 January 2020). "Bricks used in university lodge". Darlington & Stockton Times. No. 3–2019. p. 52. ISSN   2516-5348.
  33. ↑ "Library project hailed at awards" . The Halifax Courier. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  34. ↑ "Building an education brick by brick" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 10 March 2005. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  35. ↑ Knowlson, Laura (30 November 2015). "Brickmaker wins national award for project overseen by Prince Charles" . infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.