Victorian Brick Work

This was a period of revivalism in domestic architecture and industrial building. The former seeking a return to "medievalism" and other exotic building forms as a relief from the unspirituality of the machine age. The latter, for the infrastructure of factories, warehouses, railway bridges and so on all largely met through the cheap use of bricks. During this period, a greater number of bricks were made and laid than during all the previous periods. Brick manufacturing methods had improved in all respects including quality accuracy, regularity and in range of colours available. From the mid 18th century onwards the manufacturing process, like many others, was becoming mechanised. This enabled deeper clays to be used for pressing into dense bricks for use on civil engineering works. And with improvements in travel and communications, bricks could be transported over wide areas which removed the traditional local variations.

(Brick Work: The Historical Development by Gerard Lynch reproduced from The Building Conservation Directory, 1993)

Qualities of a Good Brick

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