Annesley & Bentinck Brickworks, Kirkby in Ashfield

Bentinck

Bentinck Colliery was on Park Lane, Kirkby in Ashfield & was owned by the New Hucknall Colliery Company based in Hucknall Huthwaite (Sutton in Ashfield). It was opened in 1895, with the first coal production in 1896. The Nottinghamshire Guardian dated 29th February 1896 reports that Bentinck's three shafts were either completed or nearing completion with the bricks to line these shafts coming from the colliery's own brickworks which had three Newcastle Kilns which could bake 33,000 bricks in one firing. The press machine was capable of turning out 30 bricks per minute. With the near completion of the pits shafts the article goes on to say that bricks were then to be made & stored ready to build the colliery's village which was going to be erected between the Pinxton road & the Midland Railway Line. The brickworks is first recorded in Kelly's 1900 edition as the Bentinck Colliery & Brick & Coke Works, Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottingham with Simeon Watson as Manager. Then in the 1904 edition there are two entries for this works, one same as the 1900 edition, then this entry for the New Hucknall Colliery Co. Simeon Watson Manager, Bentinck Mine, Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottm. This 1901 map shows the location of the Colliery & Brickworks on Park Lane, Kirkby. I then have mining references of brick making at the works in 1933 & 1940. There does not appear to be any Bentinck bricks made with NCB on them, so brick making must have finished by 1947 at the time of Nationalisation.  

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1901.

This no named brick came from a house being renovated in the row of houses which is called Bentinck Town & I strongly believe this was one of the bricks made for the Town after the sinking & lining of the shafts were completed & will have been made in 1896.

Annesley

Photo from the David Kitching Collection.

Photo by John Musty.

Annesley Colliery was sunk in 1860 by the Annesley Colliery Company, with first coal production in 1865. In 1925 the pit was sold to the New Hucknall Colliery Company & thus began its long association with Bentinck pit. I have mining records for brick production in 1933 & 1940. With Nationalisation in 1947, the majority of bricks found have had  NCB stamped on them & were made of clay shale. Martin Hammond records the Annesley brickworks which had a 20 chamber modified Hoffmann kiln closed in 1969.  Under the NCB the two pits were joined together, with Annesley & its famous A on its winding stocks moving the men & supplies to the coal face, the coal was brought to the surface & washed at Bentinck. Both pits closed around 2000. 

I have found in a British Brick Society article dated January 1975 that the Annesley brickworks is listed in an undated list of brickworks owned by NCB. I then have been sent an image of a Midland Brick Co. pamphlet dated August 1968 by Mike Chapman which lists Annesley brickworks as being owned by the company. Now the Midland Brick Co. was set up by NCB in 1967 as a wholly owned subsidiary to prepare twelve National Coal Board brickworks for future sale. This sale took place in 1973 when Butterley Brick purchased the Midland Brick Co. So with Annesley brickworks closing in 1969 this works did not pass over to Butterley in this Midland Brick Co. purchase.

Nottingham Journal - Friday 27 March 1936 Image © Reach PLC. 

Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Wharton & Chambers, Brickmakers, Kirkby-in-Ashfield & Kirkby Station Brickworks

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1898.

In the 1912 & 1916 editions of Kelly's Trade Directory, Wharton & Chambers are recorded as brickmakers at Hodgkinson Road, Kirkby in Ashfield. Notts. This is all the information that I have been able to find about these two brickmakers. Their yard is shown on the 1898 map above coloured green & this yard is still shown on the 1938 map, whether W & C were still at this yard at this date is unknown. 

The 1877 map below shows that this yard (green) is just shown as brick kilns & was accessed via a lane which later became Hodgkinson Road. Maybe there was a brickmaker called Hodgkinson around 1877 & working there, hence the road being named after him ? 

Updated 21.2.17. 
Kelly's 1881 edition has revealed that there was a brickmaker by the name of Hodgkinson, so I was correct in my theory of this access lane being named after him. The entry is George Hodgkinson, Kirkby in Ashfield. I then found that this yard was then taken over by Thomas Brunt who is recorded in Kelly's 1888 & 91 editions at Kirkby Folly. In 1888 this part of Kirkby-in-Ashfield (today it's the town centre) is shown on maps as East Kirkby & was also known as Kirkby Folly. White's 1894 edition now records the owner of this yard as Mrs. Sarah Brunt, Kirkby-in-Ashfield. Kelly's 1895 & 1900 editions records T. Brunt as brickmaker at East Kirkby, so this could be Thomas again or his son ? Then Kelly's 1904 & 08 editions now records W. Brunt as brickmaker at East Kirkby, so possibly Thomas' son this time. This then takes us to the Wharton & Chambers entry in Kelly's 1912 edition for this works.

The brickworks which I have coloured red on the 1898 map above was owned by Benjamin Holmes & I covered Benjamin & his sons in my previous post. The area which I have coloured yellow had been a brick works & I write about this yard next.

Photo by MF.

Photo by Frank Lawson.

 © Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1877.

Updated 3.1.17.

With just recently writing about Heanor brickmakers it has revealed who may have worked at the brickyard which was next to Kirkby railway station on Station Street (coloured yellow on the 1877 map above). To give you an idea of the location of this works it was situated between Station Street & Pond Street. 

So on to the information found. A family website has revealed that Alfred William Claxton before owning & running a brick yard in Heanor (1901 Census), he is recorded in the 1891 Census as brickmaker in Kirkby & living on Station Street with his second wife & their children & his children from his first marriage. His son Arthur aged 17 in 1891 & from his first marriage was also to become a brickmaker with his father at their Nelson Street yard in Heanor. 

So with Alfred living on Station Street, Kirkby in 1891 this has drawn me to think that he worked at this Station Street yard. Then with him being in Heanor by 1901 & this Kirkby yard is no longer shown on the 1898 map only as a clay pit, this is why I have come to the conclusion that Alfred was at this Station Street yard. When his Nelson Street yard Heanor had closed we find that Alfred/Arthur may have moved to Ripley to become brickmakers there as there is a listing for A. Claxton & Sons in Kelly's 1916 edition. 

Alfred & his family had moved to Kirkby from Norfolk around 1876 with his first wife Ann giving birth to their daughter, Frances in that year at Kirkby. The 1881 census records Alfred as a labourer & living with his family on New Street in Kirkby.

Also found in Kelly's 1876 edition that a Mr. Oliver (no initial given in this entry) is listed as brickmaker at the yard "near to the railway station, Kirkby in Ashfield." So it appears Mr. Oliver owned this yard before Alfred Claxton worked there. Morris's 1877 trade directory has revealed that Mr. Oliver's first name was Thomas & he is listed as brick & tile manufacturer in Kirkby. Then Benjamin Holmes is recorded as brickmaker in Kirkby from 1871, so he may have worked at this Kirkby Station yard before establishing his own brickworks on Portland Street in 1888. I have to also note that there is the option that Benjamin Holmes could have worked at the green yard owned by George Hodginson or another small yard at The Summit on Lowmoor Road as shown on a 1877 map. This Summit brick yard was taken over by the Butterley Co. when they sunk their Kirkby/Summit Colliery next to it in 1887. Please follow this Link to my Benjamin Holmes post to view this 1887 map which shows the Summit brick yard. (halfway down the post).

Benjamin Holmes, Brickmaker, Kirkby in Ashfield

Photo by Frank Lawson.

Benjamin Holmes was born in 1835 at Bagthorpe, Selston, Notts. In the 1851 census Benjamin is recorded as a brickyard labourer aged 15 & then in the 1861 census he is recorded as a Selston brickmaker & living with his brother-in-law Levi Hankin. By 1871 Benjamin had moved to Kirkby-in-Ashfield, living on Forest Street & still working as a brickmaker. In 1895 Benjamin had his own brickmaking business & brickyard on Portland Street, collecting clay from a field on Lowmoor Road. He also went to live on Portland Street. His two sons John (born 1873) & James (born 1875) took over the business at date unknown & in 1902 John & James established a new brickworks on Lowmoor Road. This was on the land that they had previously dug their clay from & this works covered a very large area of land which is now occupied by Tesco Express, Farm Foods & a Car Auto Centre, with the site extending from the back of these properties to the houses on Marlborough Road. The business prospered employing several local men which included Messrs J Radish, T Dring, W Smith, H Gregory, J Flint, J Butler, Sid Taylor, Tom Houlston, Sid Houlston, Earnest Marriot, Herbert Cutts, Bert Mercer & Jack Wykes. After John died in 1915, James carried on until his son, William (born1904) took over the business. The company ceased work when William & his workers were called up for war in 1939. After the war due to the deterioration of machinery & shortage of coal, William did not re-open the yard. The company was well known for producing top quality house bricks & so called ” Fancy Bricks” which can be seen on the houses in the streets around the works & district, which were built before 1939. The streets off Diamond Avenue are particularly rich in “Holmes’s Bricks.”  James passed away in 1959 & William in 1967.  Many Thanks to Betty & Joan, Benjamin’s Great-Grand Daughters for providing me with this information & photos. Betty & Joan are daughters of William & William was James' son & James was Benjamin's second son.

Top Left - William 1904 - 1967. Bottom Right - James 1875 - 1959.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of Ordnance Survey 1900.

Benjamin's Portland Street works in 1900.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of Ordnance Survey 1921.

This 1921 map shows the new brick yard on Lowmoor Road. The old yard on Portland Street now has railway sidings on it & today this site is occupied by two factories, a builders merchants & a diy shop.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey 1938.

1938 map now showing Alexandra Street, Marlborough Road & Milton Street encompassing Holmes's brickworks.

With Benjamin's name being removed from the plate which made this brick, it will have been made by John & James after they had took over the running of their father's business in the early 1900's. 

This paving brick is shown in the catalogue below & will also have been an early example made by John & James. 

Some of Holmes's Fancy Bricks photographed in Kirkby with some featuring in this catalogue.

With Holmes being positioned central in this example, it will have been made by John & James.

Benjamin Holmes is first recorded in Kelly's 1888 edition at Kirkby Folly & this is followed by the same entry in Kelly's 1891 edition. From 1894 to 1900 editions the works is listed as East Kirkby. Then in the 1904 to 1925 editions the company is now recorded as Benjamin Holmes & Sons, East Kirkby. From the 1928 edition the works is listed as Lowmoor Road, East Kirkby. Benjamin's name & this address continues until the last available directory in 1941. 

As previously wrote Benjamin owned his own works on Portland Street in 1894/5 & his sons then established a new works on Lowmoor Road in 1902. Benjamin had passed his business down to his sons, with it then being passed down to his grandson, but the name of the company remained in Benjamin's name. As already said William did not reopen the works after WW2, due to the deterioration of machinery & shortage of coal. 

Going back to the entries for Benjamin in Kelly's 1888 & 91 editions & these entries record him as brickmaker at Kirkby Folly, so this now poses the question where was Benjamin working at these dates. I have found that Kirkby Folly was another name for East Kirkby, so there is the option that Benjamin first rented the Portland Street brickyard in 1888 before purchasing the land in 1895. Although I do not have any information from Benjamin's great-granddaughter's to collaborate this option, I think this is what happened.

© Crown Copyright. Reproduced with permission of NLS/Ordnance Survey 1877.

As previously wrote, Benjamin had moved to Kirkby by 1871 & he is recorded in the 1871 census as a brickmaker in Kirkby. So the only option is that he worked for someone else between 1871 & 1888. The 1877 map above shows that neither Portland Street or a brickyard existed at this date, (the location of which was in the next field above the red marked brickworks), so we know that Benjamin did not work there. 

This 1877 map does show three brickyards in East Kirkby at this date & I have established that the yellow coloured yard at The Summit was taken over & later expanded by the Butterley Co. who sank Kirkby/Summit Colliery next to it in 1887. The green coloured yard was owned by George Hodkinson in 1881 & the red coloured yard next to Kirkby Station was owned by Mr. Oliver in 1876. So Benjamin could have worked at any of these yards between 1871 & 1888. If I do find any concrete evidence for my theories, I will update the post.

Update 4.9.17.

After visiting the nearly demolished CWS building on North Street, Huthwaite, I found that the outer walls of this building had been made with "Holmes's bricks" with the same lettering as the top one below. The main part of this building which fronted North Street & High Street was constructed in 1907. So it will have been a very lucrative contract suppling all those bricks for the Holmes family. Six photos of the CWS building can be seen at this link under the heading of North Street. 

http://www.dawgates.co.uk/album/huth.htm

The following three examples will have been made by John, James or William.

Many Thanks to Steve & Tom, two of my "brick scouts" for finding me this Benjamin Holmes brick in Kirkby. It's a little battle worn, but the lettering is spot on.

Photos by Richard Bull.

A Holmes reverse Best Pressed brick found by Richard Bull at Pye Bridge, Derbys. in March 2023, one which I have not seen before.

Dave Skinner found this mint Benjamin Holmes in Kirkby in November 2024. This is only the third one to turn up, unless anyone knows otherwise. If so, please get in touch as I am after a mint one. Ta.