# The Brick Works, Kent - May 2012



## Ramsgatonian (May 18, 2012)

*History*

Construction was started in 1910, and an extensive range of surface buildings had been erected by 1911 including an engine house, workshops and a chimney.

No further work was to be undertaken until a branch from the East Kent Light Railway was completed, and by 1914 no sinking had yet started. At the outbreak of WW1, all further development of the site was halted for the duration of hostilities. Shortly after the war started the colliery was taken over by the Army for a cavalry re-mount unit, a large number of horses being stabled in the colliery buildings.

Around this time Intermediate Equipments, the Holding Company, began to dispose of surface plant that had already been installed.

After the war, no further development was undertaken, but apart from the wooden headgear the surface buildings were still complete in 1923 when the mine was sold to Pearson & Dorman Long, owners of Betteshanger Colliery.

They kept the mineral rights and sold the colliery to the Hammill Brick Co. who built a brickworks on the site utilising some of the old colliery buildings, opening in June 1927.

The company continued trading until 2006, when a downturn in fortunes lead to the site running down. Despite an attempt to revitalise the company, the brickworks shut in 2008 and has been run on a care & maintenance basis ever since in the hope of keeping the site viable for a buyer.[/I]

*My Photographs...*

Convenient Parking!







Don't know why this was left here, but it certainly worked as a visual deterrent until I got close enough to see the flat tyres!






Bricks, anyone?











Nissen Huts.











Engine House.





















Shillings!














































Handily, someone was standing by to provide a sense of scale...


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## KingRat (May 18, 2012)

Really, really like that. Great report, thanks.


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## fleydog (May 18, 2012)

Nice set, thank you.


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## tank2020 (May 18, 2012)

Nice, this place was one of my first explores, but I didn't manage the whole site, looks really interesting. Cheers


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## King Al (May 19, 2012)

Good stuff Flyboy the older red brick buildings look great and like the weird chair


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## flyboys90 (May 19, 2012)

Thats a huge site it looked a great day out.What do you think the nissen huts were used for? great photos thanks for sharing.


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## steve2109 (May 19, 2012)

great report Mate, looked like a good explore


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## Ramsgatonian (May 20, 2012)

flyboys90 said:


> Thats a huge site it looked a great day out.What do you think the nissen huts were used for? great photos thanks for sharing.



"Shortly after the war started the colliery was taken over by the Army for a cavalry re-mount unit, a large number of horses being stabled in the colliery buildings." I think it has something to do with this!


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## The Archivist (May 22, 2012)

Interesting history and pictures, I love old brickworks. 
Thanks for posting


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