One of the few true handmade brickworks, our Swanage Factory has over 150 years of experience handed down throughout the generations, producing bricks with personality and integrity.
Our traditional and bespoke stock bricks have created award-winning traditional and contemporary buildings. It’s genuinely an inspiring factory with a skilled and proud workforce who would like nothing more than for you to take a factory tour to see how our bricks are made.
All of our brickmakers learn their craft from skills handed down from previous generations. Once the craft is perfected,
it’s our people who give each brick a sense of difference.
Hand thrown into traditional sanded moulds, each brick takes on the characteristics of its maker. This signature can be seen in the fine crease marks on the face of each brick, a feature that cannot be replicated by any machine.
This process not only defines the personality of each brick, but the personality of each building it adorns.
Imperial sized bricks, often required to match up with existing Victorian brickwork, are ideal for refurbishments and restoration. At Swanage, imperial bricks are available as standard.
We produce options available in 50mm, 65mm and Imperial size formats with fine stock textures in our range of Swanage colours.
The firing and cooling process takes approximately 3 days. Prior to firing, up to one pint of water is taken through evaporation from each brick during the drying process. Our distinctive colours are obtained from the kiln settings and firing process, controlling the heat, time fired and reduction for the desired results.
Modern kilns have superseded the traditional tunnel kilns, providing us with the control required for consistency in colour and quality, complementing the handmaking process. When cooled each brick is palletised by hand from the kiln car, ensuring only the best bricks are selected for your use.
Swanage’s true expertise lies in its ability to create purpose-made blends of bricks. There are sometimes occasions where a standard brick just does not do the job and this is where the ability to mix colours, textures and sizes really comes into its own.
Whether it is to allow you to match to brickwork on an existing building, or the need to develop a unique blend for a particularly special project, Swanage can provide the solution. For more information on Swanage bespoke or purpose-made blends contact our teams on 0844 800 4575.
A full range of both manufactured and cut and bonded special shaped bricks is available in British Standard and non-standard formats for all Swanage products including bespoke blends. This ensures a seamless match with the main feature brick.
Matching up with existing special shapes forms part of the service provided by Swanage, particularly on refurbishment projects where often there is a requirement for intricate ornamental designs typical of Victorian masonry architecture.
We have an extensive library of existing moulds and can make new moulds to your specifications.
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