DESIGN

Profile:
Ibstock’s
Swanage
Brickworks
The Swanage Brickworks has a
tradition of handmaking bricks
that dates back to 1865, and today
the Ibstock factory employs 15
handmakersatits Godlingston site
on the north-west outskirts of the
Dorset town.
The individually unique bricksare
made in arangeofcolours, sizes
and textures, and they areused in
awide range of building types.
Typically,the most readily
available sizesare 50mm, 65mm
and 68mm, but other dimensions
can be manufactured to order.
Additionally, imperial-sizedbricks
are available for useinrestoration
and refurbishment projects,
especially those in conservation
areas and where listedbuildings
areinvolved. Moreover,nonstandardsizes
can be appropriate
when matching existing brickwork
or to create unique or novel
bonding patterns.
Afull range of manufactured and
cut and bonded special shapes are
available for all Swanageproducts,
including bespoke blends.
Matching up with existing shapes
is alsooffered by Swanage, which
can be particularly importantwith
refurbishment projects,where
intricate ornamental details
requireaccurate replication.
Swanage products can alsobe
matched up withthe brick-cutting
services of Ibstock Kevington to
provide prefabricated arches,
underslung soffitsand other
factory-madebrickwork detailsfor
usewith conventionalmasonry.
Sigificantly the Swanage Brickworks
also offers abespoke blending
service for situations wherean
appearance other than that offered
by standardoff-the-shelf bricks is
required. Typically this might be
helpful inmatching existing
historicbuildings or in creating a
new blend for asignificantor
prominent project.
Swanage Brickworks also makes the
grey glazed headers that have been
partofthe vernaculararchitecture
of the WealdencountiesofKent
and Sussex for centuries. Normally
used alongside plain redstock or
handmade bricks, the headerscan
be incorporated in avariety of
bonding patterns, such as English
and Flemish bonds, or as afeature
to create aparticular effect, such as
the diamond patternfeatured at
College House, Shiplake College,
Henley-on-Thames, by Nichols
Brown Webber.Swanage grey
glazed headersare also often used
to match adjacent brickwork for
conservation or planning reasons.
42 •IBSTOCK DESIGN •SPRING 2016