Originally two Wootton farming settlements, Wootton Pillinge and neighbouring Wootton Broadmead, the Wootton Pillinge LBC village was in 1936 renamed Stewartby, taking its new name from the Stewart family, directors of London Brick Company since 1900. The family's famous son Sir Malcolm Stewart had amalgamated LBC with the Forders Company in the village in the 1920s. The site closed in 2008 as the owners, Hanson, cannot meet UK limits for sulphur dioxide emissions. The four chimneys remaining were due to be demolished upon closure but these have since been listed for preservation of Bedfordshire's brick-related history. and will remain. Stewartby brickworks was home to the world’s biggest kiln and produced 18 million bricks at the height of production.
BJ Forder & Son opened the first brickworks in Wootton Pillinge in 1897. Wootton Pillinge was renamed Stewartby in 1937 in recognition of the Stewart family who had been instrumental in developing the brickworks. The firm became London Brick Company and Forders Limited in 1926, and shortened to London Brick Company in 1936. At the height of the industry’s production there were 167 brick chimneys in the Marston Vale. In the 1970s Bedfordshire produced 20% of England’s bricks. At its peak London Brick Company had its own ambulance and fire crews, a horticultural department and a photographic department, as well as its own swimming pool inside the factory, and ran a number of sports clubs.
More than £1 million was spent on Stewartby Brickworks in 2005-7 in an attempt to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions.
The factory used Lower Oxford Clay, which is made up of 5% seaweed, formed 150 million years ago when it was on the sea bed. This removed the need to add coal to the fire, as the organic material burned.
Visited this with Rubex, spent a good 3 to 4 hours walking round and looking at different parts, weather was not the best however was please with the results.
BJ Forder & Son opened the first brickworks in Wootton Pillinge in 1897. Wootton Pillinge was renamed Stewartby in 1937 in recognition of the Stewart family who had been instrumental in developing the brickworks. The firm became London Brick Company and Forders Limited in 1926, and shortened to London Brick Company in 1936. At the height of the industry’s production there were 167 brick chimneys in the Marston Vale. In the 1970s Bedfordshire produced 20% of England’s bricks. At its peak London Brick Company had its own ambulance and fire crews, a horticultural department and a photographic department, as well as its own swimming pool inside the factory, and ran a number of sports clubs.
More than £1 million was spent on Stewartby Brickworks in 2005-7 in an attempt to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions.
The factory used Lower Oxford Clay, which is made up of 5% seaweed, formed 150 million years ago when it was on the sea bed. This removed the need to add coal to the fire, as the organic material burned.
Visited this with Rubex, spent a good 3 to 4 hours walking round and looking at different parts, weather was not the best however was please with the results.
On with the photos
We found some photos of the old London Brick lories
The last of the remaing listed chimneys
We then found our way in the Belt shop
![25317476809_6907698e58_b.jpg 25317476809_6907698e58_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211004-25317476809-6907698e58-b.jpg)
![25317473909_79ae7ca78a_b.jpg 25317473909_79ae7ca78a_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211005-25317473909-79ae7ca78a-b.jpg)
![25317471269_6fa63a527d_b.jpg 25317471269_6fa63a527d_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211006-25317471269-6fa63a527d-b.jpg)
![25317468459_d3947012dd_b.jpg 25317468459_d3947012dd_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211007-25317468459-d3947012dd-b.jpg)
![30651561620_29114d1069_b.jpg 30651561620_29114d1069_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211008-30651561620-29114d1069-b.jpg)
![30836855712_6229d43ae7_b.jpg 30836855712_6229d43ae7_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211009-30836855712-6229d43ae7-b.jpg)
Next was this old shed, was apparent there must have been a rave some time ago judging by all the ballons and cartridges left behind
I believe this is where it was all mixed together.
![30917211926_a9d36d6b47_b.jpg 30917211926_a9d36d6b47_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211013-30917211926-a9d36d6b47-b.jpg)
![25317447009_a26570951c_b.jpg 25317447009_a26570951c_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211014-25317447009-a26570951c-b.jpg)
![30917203736_a35350af37_b.jpg 30917203736_a35350af37_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211015-30917203736-a35350af37-b.jpg)
![30917201826_0209842dce_b.jpg 30917201826_0209842dce_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211016-30917201826-0209842dce-b.jpg)
![22775792428_d166fe0842_b.jpg 22775792428_d166fe0842_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211017-22775792428-d166fe0842-b.jpg)
![30953469105_9a3dc65403_b.jpg 30953469105_9a3dc65403_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211018-30953469105-9a3dc65403-b.jpg)
![22774843368_ab961f7e1f_b.jpg 22774843368_ab961f7e1f_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211019-22774843368-ab961f7e1f-b.jpg)
![30917197476_2d0333bf14_b.jpg 30917197476_2d0333bf14_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211020-30917197476-2d0333bf14-b.jpg)
![30917194896_18a96fd3e1_b.jpg 30917194896_18a96fd3e1_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211021-30917194896-18a96fd3e1-b.jpg)
![22774841918_b3605d4921_b.jpg 22774841918_b3605d4921_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211022-22774841918-b3605d4921-b.jpg)
![30836838142_b376cab33b_b.jpg 30836838142_b376cab33b_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211023-30836838142-b376cab33b-b.jpg)
![22774840718_cac6676609_b.jpg 22774840718_cac6676609_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211024-22774840718-cac6676609-b.jpg)
![30865122881_8ee6caa8ed_b.jpg 30865122881_8ee6caa8ed_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211025-30865122881-8ee6caa8ed-b.jpg)
![30865119651_fb26ce30f9_b.jpg 30865119651_fb26ce30f9_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211026-30865119651-fb26ce30f9-b.jpg)
![30865115921_226cf1f344_b.jpg 30865115921_226cf1f344_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211027-30865115921-226cf1f344-b.jpg)
![30865112401_c0de6879da_b.jpg 30865112401_c0de6879da_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211028-30865112401-c0de6879da-b.jpg)
![30865109821_59f6540a9d_b.jpg 30865109821_59f6540a9d_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211029-30865109821-59f6540a9d-b.jpg)
![25317399339_551f2527b1_b.jpg 25317399339_551f2527b1_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/211/211030-25317399339-551f2527b1-b.jpg)
And finally a couple of other photos we came accross of some former workers.
If you have made it this far thanks for looking.