York Handmade Brick Company Explained

York Handmade Brick Company
Type:Private
Industry:Brickmaking
Predecessor:Alnebrick
Successors:-->
Founded:1988
Founder:David Armitage
Hq Location City:Alne, North Yorkshire
Hq Location Country:England
Areas Served:-->
Key People:David Armitage (chairman)
Revenue:£2.275 million
Revenue Year:2018–19[1]
Num Employees:30
Num Employees Year:2019

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.

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 2feet 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 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 railway station,[9] [10] 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.[11] A contract in 2010 to supply 400,000 bricks for Chetham's School of Music was valued at over £500,000.[12]

The company have also supplied bricks for repairing bridges over the River Swale in North Yorkshire,[13] 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.[14]

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.[15] 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.[16]

Significant projects

Awards

Notes and References

  1. News: Bridgen . Mike . Brick company's best year will help deal with virus . Darlington & Stockton Times . 13–2020 . 27 March 2020 . 56. 2516-5348.
  2. News: Mitchinson . James . Not just another brick in the wall – firm looks back on long history . The Yorkshire Post . 10 March 2022 . 8. 0963-1496.
  3. News: Casci . Mark . Profile: David Armitage, York Handmade Brick Company . 8 November 2019 . The Yorkshire Post . 8 January 2018. limited.
  4. News: Wilkinson . Paul . All for the love of a good brick . 8 November 2019 . The Telegraph . 8 August 2003.
  5. News: Bean . Dan . York brick worker designs and creates new machinery . 8 November 2019 . York Press . 26 March 2018.
  6. Shepherd . Cliff . Alne Brick Co Ltd . The Industrial Railway Record . 1993 . 139 . 394 . Industrial Railway Society . Birmingham . 0537-5347.
  7. News: Brick firm to build on 10 successful years . 11 November 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 24 June 1998. subscription.
  8. News: Brick company enjoys one of most successful years in its history . 8 November 2019 . Darlington and Stockton Times . 20 January 2019. limited.
  9. News: Bridgen . Mike . York Handmade bricks used in London projects . 11 November 2019 . Darlington and Stockton Times . 13 April 2018. limited.
  10. News: York Handmade wins tallest building contract . 16 November 2019 . Insider Media Ltd . 3 February 2011.
  11. News: Bridgen . Mike . York Handmade to make yellow bricks for London's houses . 8 November 2019 . Darlington and Stockton Times . 3 March 2018.
  12. News: York Handmade supplies bricks to London's iconic Shard development . 16 November 2019 . York Press . 3 February 2011A. limited.
  13. News: Brick company cements reputation with award . 11 November 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 10 December 2007. subscription.
  14. News: Knowsley . Jo . Property: The most expensive bricks in the world (apart from a gold Lego one, that is) . 11 November 2019 . Metro Newspaper UK . 15 October 2019.
  15. News: York brick firm to feature in television series . 11 November 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 3 November 2012.
  16. News: Richardson . Andy . Prince Charles praises northern brickies . 11 November 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 11 August 2014. subscription.
  17. News: York Handmade Brick Company lined up to help restore Highbury Stadium . 11 November 2019 . York Press . 22 September 2009.
  18. News: Centres of success for Handmade . 11 November 2019 . The Yorkshire Post . 21 December 2010. limited.
  19. News: York Handmade completes £15,000 contract . 11 November 2019 . Insider Media Ltd . 21 December 2010.
  20. News: York Handmade supplies bricks to London's iconic Shard development . 11 November 2019 . York Press . 3 February 2011.
  21. News: Darley . Karen . Yorkshire company supplies bricks for injured jockey's centre . 8 November 2019 . Gazette & Herald . 20 November 2013.
  22. News: Bridgen . Mike . Racecourse's new look is thanks to brick firm . 11 November 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 16 May 2014.
  23. News: Hitchen . Andrew . York Handmade Brick company provides 30,000 bricks to create new library building . 8 November 2019 . York Press . 3 June 2016. limited.
  24. News: Lavigueur . Nick . Opening date set for new £9m Halifax central library . 8 November 2019 . Huddersfield Examiner . 27 August 2017.
  25. News: Knowlson . Laura . Brick order flies out . 8 November 2019 . York Press . 22 June 2017.
  26. Web site: 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 . 8 November 2019.
  27. News: Snowden . Ros . Yorkshire firm lends expertise to iconic Scottish church . 8 November 2019 . The Yorkshire Post . 16 July 2018. limited.
  28. News: Bridgen . Mike . Company makes mark in capital with bricks for station . Darlington & Stockton Times . 44–2019 . 1 November 2019 . 69. 2516-5348.
  29. News: Knowlson . Laura . Brick maker's London order . 16 November 2019 . York Press . 12 April 2018. limited.
  30. News: London's biggest £92m brick building launched . 16 November 2019 . London Property News londonlovesproperty.com . 4 October 2019.
  31. News: Chapman. Hannah. Contract to supply bricks for cathedral . Darlington & Stockton Times . 45–2019 . 8 November 2019 . 60. 2516-5348.
  32. News: Chapman. Hannah. Bricks used in university lodge . Darlington & Stockton Times . 3–2019 . 17 January 2020 . 52. 2516-5348.
  33. News: Library project hailed at awards . 8 November 2019 . The Halifax Courier . 24 November 2018. limited.
  34. News: Building an education brick by brick . 11 November 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 10 March 2005. subscription.
  35. News: Knowlson . Laura . Brickmaker wins national award for project overseen by Prince Charles . 11 November 2019 . infoweb.newsbank.com . 30 November 2015. subscription.

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