Bursledon Brickworks Museum
| Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 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°WCoordinates: 50°53′09″N 1°17′27″W / 50.8858°N 1.2908°W |
| Elevation | 11 metres |
| Owner | Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Awards and prizes | Solent Protection Society 2004 Conservation Award Tourism South East: Best Community Tourism Business 2014 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.
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.
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. Most of the original machinery was moved to the Swanwick site from Chandler's Ford.
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. The cricket team, Lower Swanwick B.C.C. won the Sarisbury and District Cricket League Division 2 championship shield.
After the Second World War, the family business was amalgamated with the Sussex and Dorking Brick Company and in 1959 became Redland Holdings Ltd.
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. 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.
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