The overlooked home of Seaford's brickworks
SITUATED towards the Buckle end of Marine Parade, the Brickfields is an often overlooked part of the town, however it is not only the home to a fascinating history but also a diverse array of wildlife.
Despite the area being an old river inlet which frequently flooded during high tides it was the home of Seaford's brickworks.
It is not known when bricks were first made in Seaford as there appears to be little documentary evidence, although information from Seaford Museum suggests that there were not only brickworks here but also at Lions Place (off Chyngton Road near the Golf Course).
A correspondent to the museum in 1982 suggests that the brickworks at the Brickfields site were responsible for making many of the red coloured bricks of the Martello Tower, although the yellow coloured ones would have been brought from London.
It is also more than likely that bricks made here would have been used for the adjacent Blatchington Barracks which was completed in 1795.
Sussex clay is lighter and not suitable for machine working, so that by the 1930s it was cheaper and easier to import bricks into the county, sometimes from France or Belgium.
Sussex brickworks soon closed and the long and complicated process of making bricks was soon forgotten.
Luckily an item from the Sussex County Magazine in 1926 explains the five steps of the process.
First the clay would have to be mined and this was in early winter and of course done by hand.
A skilled brick maker would choose the clay within four feet of the surface and by its colour and consistency.
The clay would be stacked in low square, flat topped mounds which were covered with several inches of ashes or coal dust. During the winter the effects of the wind and frost would temper the clay – this process was known as 'winning'.
In the spring the clay would be 'worked', that is to say kneaded. It would be placed into a giant hopper known as a pugmill which was turned by a horse.
The worked clay would be squeezed out through a narrow opening at the bottom of the mill and cut into sections called 'clots' by a boy (who was also responsible for the horse). The tool he would use was called a dab-cockle and he would carry the clot of worked clay to the bench of the brick maker ready for the next part of the process – moulding.
The brick moulder, wearing a heavy leather apron would stand at a large solid bench which would have a ready supply of sand and water.
He would first sand the bench and knead the clay before throwing it into a wooden mould. Excess clay would be scraped off using a flat piece of wood called a 'strike' and the spare clay returned to the clot.
The dips in the top of the bricks (in which to hold the mortar) would be pressed in using another wooden mould called a mouse. The moulder would then skilfully upend the mould onto a wooden tray.
This would then be carried away by his assistant to be stored for the next part of the process – drying.
A skilled brick moulder could make about 200 bricks each hour (over 2000 in a twelve hour day) and it was likely that each brickworks would have at least three moulders.
The bricks would be laid out for drying on 'hack boards' and this would take between up to six weeks, although after two weeks the bricks would be dry enough to be allowed to touch and would be laid in herringbone layers.
They would also be regularly turned to ensure an even shape.
The last process was firing the bricks, which would be laid side by side to form a huge flat-topped pyramid or 'clamp'.
There would be spaces between sections of bricks in the clamp to allow the heat to infuse smoothly.
The clamp could contain from 50,000 to about a quarter of a million bricks and it would be a skilful job to ensure that the fire within burned steadily and evenly over several weeks.
A change of wind would mean that some vents would have to be blocked to ensure the internal fire did not burn out, so an assistant brick maker would be on hand 24 hours a day to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
The correspondent to Seaford Museum recalls that when the brickfield site was flooded with sea water, huge clouds of steam would be seen above the site, which apparently continued to produce bricks until the 1920s.
Alas, today there is no sign of all this activity but that does not mean it is not worth a visit – quite the contrary.
The brickfield is now a wildlife haven, home to shrews, voles and field-mice which in turn provide food for the kestrels which nest nearby. Last year a wetland area was created (known locally as 'The Dip') and frogs, toads and newts have made their home here. There is also an abundance of flora to be seen.
Today the Brickfields are managed by Lewes District Council and a keen group of local volunteers and next Friday (31st July) at 11am our MP Norman Baker will open a special open day here.
There will be activities for children and an exhibition by the Seaford Photographic Society.
As you walk amongst the flowers try to remember how this was once part of Seaford's industrial past.
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Weather for Lewes
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
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