In 1887 the Butterley Company of Ripley, Derbyshire, purchased land in Kirkby in Ashfield & the Summit Pit was sunk. In 1890 a brickworks was built next to the colliery, situated towards Kirkby town centre, as shown on this 1900 map below, but by the 1921 map the brickworks is no longer shown in this location.There is a plaque of the Colliery in 1960 set on a large stone in nearby West Park, showing the brickworks new location which was on the Sutton side of the pit, next to the spoil heap. The date of the relocation is unknown, but it was before 1921. More railway sidings are then built on the original brickworks site. The pit was also known as Kirkby Colliery & became one of the largest collieries in the country, even generating its own electricity. Both the brickworks & the pit closed in 1968.
© Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1900.
The brickworks in 1900 (centre of map) located towards Kirkby town centre. The other brickworks shown on this map on Portland Street was owned by Benjamin Holmes, which I have wrote about in a previous post.
Plaque in nearby West Park.
1960 plaque showing the brickworks new location.
A blue type brick made by Butterley which the company experimented with & it appears that this venture was not successful. This works is listed in Kelly's 1922 & 25 editions as Butterley Co. Ltd. Kirkby Works, East Kirkby, Nottm. Then in 1928, 32, 36 & 41 editions it is listed together with the nearby Ollerton works.
The pit & brickworks were nationalised by the government in 1947. Below are examples from that date to its closure in 1968.
Life at the brickworks by Henry Simms.
Many Thanks to Henry for giving me permission to reproduce his work and Chris Kidger, secretary, at the Kirkby and District Conservation Society in Kirkby in Ashfield for supplying me with information about the brickworks and Henry's story.
Contact details for K.D.C.S please click link.
http://www.kirkbytowncentre.co.uk/EZ/ktc/ktc/index.php?thispage=page06&xurl=page06
