UK Named Bricks : December 2020

In part 1 of Patterned Brick Pavers I pictorially record the many different designs of patterned pavers which have turned up so far, with or without names stamped in them. This post only covers the thinner pavers which can be 2 to 2.5 inches thick & the deeper stable block type pavers are covered in Patterned Brick Pavers - part 2.

Any photos not credited to in this post are by me & the majority of these pavers by me were photographed at Cawarden Reclamation in Rugeley, who always have plenty of stock to chose from.

If you have images of any patterns not shown in this post, please get in touch via email please, my details are on the Contacts Tab at the top of this page & I will gladly add them to the post. Thanks, Martyn.

So I start with the most used design, the diamond pattern & I have selected several variations to show. In most cases I show three images of the same paver - face, side view & reverse.

Cakemore Brick Co. Rowley Regis.

K. Co. Ltd. = Ketley Co. Ltd. Kingswinford near Dudley.

Photos by Alwyn Sparrow.

G. Skelding, Nagersfield Brickworks, Brierley Hill.

Vitros was a Trade Name used by the North Staffordshire Brick & Tile Co. Chesterton, Stoke.

In March 1872 Mrs Sarah Glover took out a Notice in the Staffordshire Advertiser stating she was giving up Hanford Tileries in favour of William Adams Peake & that she wished past patronage would favour the new owner. Mrs. Glover had succeeded her late husband Mr. Daniel Glover at the works. The first listing for W.A. Peake, Hanford Tileries, Stoke on Trent is in Kelly's 1872 edition. William died on the 13th of November 1908, but we find Kelly's 1912 & 1916 editions continue to record the company of W.A. Peake at Hanford Tileries. There are no more entries after 1916 for W.A. Peake. I also note this diamond paver is much larger than the standard paver & measures 12 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches deep, so a very heavy paver.

Tellwright & Watkin, Cobridge, Stoke. It appears this duo were primarily colliery owners who only operated a brickworks next to their Cobridge Colliery for a short period of time around 1879.

Bretby Colliery, Derbyshire was at one point owned by the Earl of Carnarvon before he sold the colliery & Bretby Hall to fund his Tutankhamen Expedition in 1920. The colliery closed in 1928.

Photos by Brunhilde Bontrup.

Brunhilde found this P. & S. Wood, Pump House Brick Works, West Bromwich diamond paver in Hamburg, with it coming from a house built in 1906.

Photos by Mark Cranston.

R. Wilson, Broughton Moor Colliery & Brickworks, Cumberland was operational around 1880. There is the option that Walker's Patent could refer to this Patent taken out by Alfred Walker of Nottingham, but not 100%.

Photos by Mark Cranston.

Iron was a Trade Name used by James Downing at his Defiance Brickworks, Chesterton, Stoke. 1907 adverts advertising the company's Iron Brand at this Link.

Another diamond paver made by Partridge & Guest at their Old Hill Works, Rowley Regis between 1880 & 1936.

Photo by Richard Paterson.

Another diamond paver made by the Cattybrook Brick Co. in Bristol.

Photo by Matt.

Another diamond paver made by Doulton's of Rowley Regis.

Another Diamond paver made by Mobberley & Perry in Stourbridge.

This diamond paver was made by Manners of Eastwood & I suspect this is a 20c example.

This is the first diamond paver that I have come across with the diamond running the other way. It also has a flat reverse. Photographed at 4 Oaks Reclamation.

Photos by Chris Graham.

Chris Graham came across this large diamond paver during a visit to Barrow-in-Furness. The reverse has the diamond kite mark which details the date it was made. Mark Cranston has another designed paver with this kite mark on (shown below) in his Scottish Collection, so there's a good chance this paver is also Scottish.

Holmes, Kirkby in Ashfield, Notts. Benjamin Holmes established his own brick yard on Portland Street, East Kirkby in 1895 & was later joined by his two sons John & James. So with this paver having Benjamin's name removed it will have been made by the brothers after 1902. The brothers also established a new larger works on nearby Lowmoor Road in 1902. Below is B.Holmes & Sons catalogue showing these pavers.

Photo by Sam Burrows.

Davies Brothers, Abenbury Brick Works, Wrexham.

Photos by Mark Cranston.

W.J. Gillespie, Monreith, Scotland.

Photo by Ian Suddaby.

Nellfield Brick and Tile Works, Braidwood, Lanarkshire.

Photos by Paul Davies, Secretary of the Buckley Society.

Catherall & Co. Ld. Buckley, Flintshire, North Wales.

Photos by Phil Burgoyne.

Edward Parry & Sons, Ewloe Brickworks, Buckley, Flintshire. This works was operational between 1860 & the late 1960's, producing bricks under the "Dragon Brand. Paul Davies has also sent me these two images of his Parry's brochure which advertises their "Dragon Brand" of paving bricks.

This Jubilee paver is believed to have been made by the Jubilee Brick, Lime & Sand Co. Ltd. who are listed in Kelly's 1900 to 1908 editions at Moxley, Wednesbury, West Midlands.

Another small diamond/squares example made by Thomas Williams of Basford Tileries, Brick Kiln Lane, Hartshill, Stoke who was operational from the 1860's to the early 1900's.

Photos by Sam Stiling.

Sam found this Victor Smith & Co. small diamond paver in East Bridgeford, Notts. but I have been unable to trace this maker. This style of the frog was used by Barnett & Beddow for their Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee bricks, therefore I am thinking this Victor Smith paver also dates to 1897.

18 stud Vitros paver made by the North Staffordshire Brick & Tile Co., Chesterton, Stoke. Photographed at Hadley's Reclamation Yard, Yoxall in November 2023.

A variation on the stud theme with this one having halves of studs to make a whole stud with the next paver. There is no makers name in this one.

A slightly different version to the two stud pavers above with this one having an octagon base & a domed top. This paver is not stamped with a makers name.

This octagonal & diamonds paver with no makers mark was photographed at Cawarden Reclamation & with Sam Burrows having one in his collection in Wales there's a strong case for it being made by Edward Parry & Sons in Buckley & is listed as paver number 16 in the Parry catalogue above.

I'm calling this one diamonds & x's with this paver having a smooth flat back & no name stamped in it.

This Wood & Ivery paver appears to be a series of inter-conecting circles & this paver will have been made at the company's Albion Brickworks, West Bromwich between 1871 & 1912.

Photos by Mark Cranston.

Another octagonal & diamonds paver again without a makers name, but with a Registered Diamond Mark - IV = a clay product, 28 = 28th, D = September & L = 1882. This was an early form of Trade Mark. The Edward Parry Catalogue above shows a similar design of this paver, so it may have been made by Parry, but I have note that this paver is in Mark's collection in Scotland, so there's a stronger case of it being Scottish made.

Star paver with a dumb bell frog. Again this may have been a Hamblet product, but I have to note that info found in an article on the web while I was writing my Hamblet Post, records several brickworks made bricks stamped with the dumb bell frog to imitate the Hamblet brand & Hamblet in response advertised that bricks only with the Hamblet name or the letter H stamped in their registered Trade Mark dumb bell frog shape were the genuine article.

Photos by Mike Chapman.

Looks like a path laid with these Frank Candy, Newton Abbott, Devon pavers creates a pattern of chevron stars & circles. In January 2022 Jacky Wisdom visited Brixham & came across several paths & steps made of these pavers. So many thanks Jacky for giving me permission to add the photos.

I then spotted that a couple of these pavers had a slight variation with them having a circle added to the centre of the chevrons & are bluish in colour.

With Jacky also visiting Dartmouth the same pavers are laid on some steep steps in the town. Then I spotted another design variation with two of these pavers having a circle inside a set of squares. I can only assume these were made by Frank Candy as well.

Photos by Jacky Wisdom.

Photos by Phil Burgoyne.

Phil found this sea worn white paver at Crosby beach. There is no makers mark on it's reverse, but I am wondering if it was made by Frank Candy in Newton Abbott, Devon. It's the only place that I have recorded white pavers being made. If I find it's maker, I will update the post.

Photos by Tracy Martin.

The Trelonk Brickworks was situated on the banks of the River Fal in Cornwall & was operational between 1891 & 1907. Tracy found this paver in her garden in nearby Truro.

Link to two pics of the works. https://rosannamartin.com/Trelonk

Photos by Eric Taylor.

Another chevron design made by the Bristol Fire Clay Co. Crew's Hole, St. George's, Bristol.

Chevrons & circles with a dog-bone frog & no makers mark. This one is the same design as the Bristol blue paver above. Photographed at Cawarden's who have around thirty of these pavers for sale (as of July 2021). I was so struck with the design of this one that I purchased one of these pavers.

This patterned paver is much larger than normally found & measures 310 x 160 x 60 mm & with it having a flat back I am wondering if it's a fairly modern paver.

Photos by Mike Chapman.

Mike photographed this Diamond & Star 2 inch deep paver with a dumb bell reverse in a reclamation yard in Somerset in October 2022. It is unknown who made this paver, but it will have been made in the West Midlands.

Photo by Juddy Hirst.

This very unusual designed paver is in Juddy's garden in the North East & with it being cemented in his path it is unknown if there is a makers name stamped on the reverse. Joanna Gillen in Manchester contacted me to say that she has some of these pavers in her back garden & there is no name stamped in the reverse. Since then Joanna has sent me these three photos. Many Thanks Jo.

Photos by Joanna Gillen.

Gary Irvin spotted these were for sale on FB Marketplace.

Photo by Aaron Whittall.

I photographed this chevron paver at English Salvage Yard, Leominster thinking the registration number would reveal it's maker, but alas no info found.

With this Hamblet paver having a registration number it's design will have only been made this company. I have also photographed this design of paver at Cawarden in July 2021 with the Hamblet full name in the dumb bell frog.

This paver with 32 squares is not stamped with a makers mark, so it may have been made in the West Midlands, but with now adding a copy of Edward Parry's brochure (above) I see they also made this design of paving brick in North Wales. However Parry's stamped their name in their bricks, so I think I can discount them in making this paver. Below is a 50 squares paver with no makers mark on it's reverse which turned up in June 2023 at Langley Mill reclamation yard. I cannot see there being another paver with more squares than this one. However, I may be proven wrong another day !

Another 32 squares paver as above made by Cowie. I have not been unable to find who this maker is, so if you have any info on Cowie, please get in touch. Thanks.

This paver which I found at Fletcher's reclaim in Langley Mill, when joined to other pavers makes a 16 squares design, so a slight variation to the diamond pattern. This paver has a flat back & no name.

Photos by Ian Suddaby.

From the all the pavers which have been found to date I think this disc design is my favourite. Ian tells me that this pavement is in Castle Douglas, Galloway & he believes these pavers were made by J. Brodie in Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire.

With Mark Cranston having 2 of these geometric design pavers in his collection, I now confirm J. Brodie, owner of the Sanquhar Brick & Tile Works, Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire was the maker of this paver. The second paver is not named, but Mark is certain that it's a Brodie product with it being found by Nick Basden in Wanlockhead. This village is only a short distance from Sanquhar. I have to note the dumb bell shaped frog which usually relates to the bricks strength & durability. As you will have already read Joseph Hamblet of West Bromwich eventually registered this frog shape as his Trade Mark.

Photos by Mark Cranston.

Photos by Mark Cranston. These three images were taken on different days, hence the colour difference.

Would you believe it, I've just wrote that the dumbbell shaped frog was used by Hamblet & Mark has dug out this geometric design paver made by Hamblet from his pile of English bricks. So this begs the question - did Hamblet have an agreement with J. Brodie to manufacture this design of paver in Scotland & making them stamped with both company names ??? Brodie may have Patented this geometric design ? Mark is doubtful of my theory, but has not dismissed it.

Updated 8.4.21.

Phil Bayley in Worcester has just sent photos of his Hamblet geometric design paver which in theory discounts these pavers being made in Scotland & will have been made in West Bromwich. Then on the 8th of July 2021 I found some of these Hamblet pavers at Cawarden Reclamation stamped with the full Hamblet name same as Mark's.

Photos by Phil Bayley.

Updated February 2024. Aaron Whittall contacted me saying he has two pallets of these geometric pavers reverse Hamblet which came from a demolished victorian house in Denton, Manchester & they are going to be re-laid at the Station House, Leyton Station, Blackpool, a project he has undertaken to restore the station house into his home. "He's only got to nip out the front door to catch a train, so how convenient is that."

Photos by Elizabeth Thomson.

Elizabeth Thomson came across this pavement on Church Street, Smethwick & sent her photos along, saying it would be nice to find out who made them. I can now reveal that it was the Cakemore Blue Brick Co. with me coming across this design of paver at Cawarden in July 2021. A half sized version of this brick with the 4 quarters & the diamond in the centre was also spotted at Cawarden in July 2021. The example below was found at 4 Oaks Reclamation in November 2022.