The Brickfields by Cecil Beadle

[An article for the Walkern Journal May 2005]

A seam of London type clay running from the south east to the north west of the village was the type for making red bricks (hand made) with the mark ‘Walkern

Walkern Brickworks on the 1898 OS map. Source HALS DE/Ls/P37

Bricks’ on each one. The first brick maker I have been able to trace in the village was a George Andrews and his son in the mid 18th century followed by the Aylott’s and Spriggins families and in my younger days the Estwicks.

The large Spriggins family with one exception who was a butcher were all involved in the building trade such as bricklayers, carpenters and painters. The last to survive in Walkern was Job Spriggins who lived in the High Street, a plasterer by trade and a member of the Walkern Brass Band. He lived until October 1962.

Amos Estwick known to all as Mossy worked in the brickfield with Fred Warner and with only three or four kilns in operation then it was just enough to keep them busy. The bricks after being in the lines to dry were put into the kilns and after these kilns had been opened to let out the heat it was always Mossy who would go inside and Fred Warner would be catcher and stacker. Amos’s son Conrad drove a very slow ‘Pierce Arrow’ lorry that only carried a small amount of bricks out to the exit on the Bassus Green road, it was quite easy to run alongside as it was so slow.

On the brickfield site was a wooden office which I’m sure would never have contained money. However once when in his office he was attacked by a roadster or tramp as they were known. He suffered serious head injuries and had to crawl some half a mile across fields and through the river to his home Montague House in the High Street, leaving a trail of blood. He was so ill to dull the sound of iron cart tyres and horse’s hooves straw was spread on the road outside his house. He recovered but was left with a very bad shaking of his head for the rest of his life.

On the day of the attack a roadster by the name of Loveridge whilst walking through Aston was stopped by the local policeman. His bloodstained shirt and clothes resulted in him being arrested, charged and found guilty and he served a 10 year prison sentence for the attack.

The Brickfields closed in the late 1930′s the pits were filled in with water and with eggs carried it is thought on the legs of wild ducks from the lakes at Walkern Hall and Ardeley Bury was soon alive with fish, giving the local lads plenty of fishing.

Sadly with the craft ended eventually the site became backfilled and overgrown and now only the bricks in the houses a reminder of the Brickfields.