Bursledon Brickworks Museum

Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum
Former names	Hooper & Ashby (1897–1903) The Bursledon Brick Co. Limited (1903–1959) The Sussex & Dorking Brick Company (year unknown) Redland Holdings Ltd. (1959–1974) Bursledon Brickworks Conservation Centre (2000s) Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum (–2017) The Brickworks Museum (2017–)
General information
Type	Museum
Architectural style	Victorian
Location	Swanwick, Hampshire, England
Address	Coal Park Lane / Swanwick Lane
Town or city	Southampton
Country	England
Coordinates	50°53′09″N 1°17′27″W / 50.8858°N 1.2908°W / 50.8858; -1.2908Coordinates: 50°53′09″N 1°17′27″W / 50.8858°N 1.2908°W / 50.8858; -1.2908
Elevation	11 metres
Owner	Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust
Technical details
Floor count	2
Awards and prizes	Solent Protection Society 2004 Conservation Award[1] Tourism South East: Best Community Tourism Business 2014[2] Small Visitor Attraction (Bronze) 2014 IMECH Industrial Heritage Award TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2015, 2016
Website
www.bursledonbrickworks.org.uk

Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum, often shortened to Bursledon Brickworks is a volunteer-run brickworks museum based in the village of Swanwick, Hampshire, England. It is thought to be the last Victorian steam-driven brickworks left in the UK.^[3][4]

History

Edward Hooper

Bursledon Brickworks started out in 1897 as Hooper & Ashby, a Southampton-based builders' merchants, who also made bricks. The company was co-founded by the Ashby's and the Hooper's two separate Quaker families, both hailing from the town of Staines in Middlesex (now part of the county of Surrey). Edward Hooper, who moved to Southampton at the age of 26 was a civil engineer and architect. In the 1851 census records, Edward is described as being both an engineer and a brick maker. He takes out a lease on Baltic Wharf in Chapel Road. It is here that Edward sets up a business as a builders' merchant and a manufacturer trading in slate. This is followed by the expansion of his business, when he takes out a lease on a second building, American Wharf, nine-years later.^[5]

Hooper & Ashby

In 1903, Hooper & Ashby changed its name to The Bursledon Brick Co. Limited or (B.B.C. Ltd.), this coincided with the extension of the southern complex with the addition of the northern complex. This was further extended in 1935. With the extra capacity, the brickworks was producing in excess of 20 million bricks a year. They were one of the main producers of bricks in the region.^[6] Most of the original machinery was moved to the Swanwick site from Chandler's Ford.

Sport

Bursledon Brickworks F.C. reached the final of the 1926 Hants Junior Cup, beating North Warnborough 4–1 in the semi-finals on 20 March.^[7] The cricket team, Lower Swanwick B.C.C. won the Sarisbury and District Cricket League Division 2 championship shield.

Post-war period

After the Second World War, the family business was amalgamated with the Sussex and Dorking Brick Company and in 1959 became Redland Holdings Ltd.

Closure

The brickworks finally closed in 1974, and the site was later saved from demolition by the Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust. The south section of Bursledon Brickworks which houses the brick kiln, chimney, drying sheds, boiler and engine house are Grade II* listed.^[8] The north section was demolished and the land was acquired by the National Air Traffic Services. NATS operate the London Area Control Centre and London Terminal Control Centre. As site owners, they have provided funding for the Swanwick Lakes Wildlife Reserve project managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.^[9]

Charity status

The Bursledon Brickworks Trust which ran from July 1997 – February 2007 was replaced by the Bursledon Brickworks Museum Trust in November 2016.^[10]

As a museum

In 2012, the Heritage Lottery Fund granted the museum funding of £666,300^[11] to open up the first floor of the building, create two more education spaces and employ some paid staff. Project manager Carolyne Haynes said: “We’re always under threat, in that it’s a big building that’s permanently trying to fall down and we’re permanently trying to keep it open, running it with volunteers. The most important thing about this money is we’ll be able to pay some staff to make sure we can open three days a week – that will give us a regular opening time.

“The place deserves to be recognised nationally and this is a big first step towards that.”

The grant will also help pay for improved disabled access for the museum, in Coal Park Lane, Swanwick.

Head of the South-East’s Heritage Lottery Fund, Stuart McLeod, said: “Our industrial heritage is something we should be hugely proud of – it helped build the world we live in today. Bursledon Brickworks is the perfect example of this and an incredible survivor of its time.”

Collections

At the heart of the museum, and the heart of the collection, is the original brick making machinery, steam engine and related smaller equipment, such as barrows, shovels and wagons, once used at Bursledon Brickworks. The steam engine and machinery was restored about 20 years ago and is operated on special events.^[12][13]

Entrance to and from the site

Coal Park Lane entrance in February 2017

The brickworks has two entrances to the site, the first on Swanwick Lane. This entrance is used by the general public and has a car park. This is also where coaches drop off passengers (group visits) and the rear entrance on Coal Park Lane. The Coal Park Lane entrance is mainly used by the staff and/or volunteers based at the site, and is where deliveries are overseen.

Radio and television

Back in July 2015, BBC Radio Solent presenter Nick Girdler visited the brickworks. Here he oversaw the unveiling of a new brick sculpture, affectionately known as the Twisted Shard. The structure which took 5 months to build was designed by local brick lecturer and artist Joe Taylor from Woolston, Southampton, in partnership with Michelmersh Brick Holdings. He enlisted the help of some of his Southampton City College students to aid in the construction of the Twisted Shard.^[14][15][16] In the same year, the brickworks appeared in the last five minutes of the BBC's – VE Day: First Days of Peace documentary.^[17]

In January 2017, a five-minute segment on Bursledon Brickworks featured on Series 14: Episode 6 of the BBC One television programme Antiques Road Trip.^[18] A month later, the museum welcomed wine connoisseur Peter Richards from Saturday Kitchen.^[19]

References

External links

• Bursledon Brickworks - official site
• Bursledon Brickworks at Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust
• The Brickworks at British Listed Buildings
• Bursledon Brickworks Museum Trust at Companies House