Site of late 19th century brick and tileworks, Bridgemarsh Island (EHER 15363)

Now destroyed. A brick and tile works was situated on Bridgemarsh Island and was in intermittent use from around 1870 until around 1892. It was operated by a Frederick Bradbrook and/or James Bates in the early 1870s, followed by Bridgemarsh Brickfields Co. Limited from around 1878 until around 1882. An attempt was made to reopen the site in 1892, but the nature of the clay made it impossible to work at a profit. There is no surviving evidence of the brick and tileworks.

1997-2002. Field survey. The brickworks were situated on Bridgemarsh Island which is in the River Crouch. The Island is partly in the parish of Latchingdon and partly in Althorne but the site of the former brick works was towards the West end of the Island in Latchingdon. It was in intermittent use from around 1870 until around 1892, and it was operated by a Frederick Bradbrook and/or James Bates in the early 1870s, followed by Bridgemarsh Brickfields Co. Limited from around 1878 until around 1882. The site produced bricks and tiles. The brick and tile works used a tramway to a quay on the River Crouch which borders the South side of the Island. Along the North side is Bridgemarsh Creek and towards the NE was a ford across the Creek to Althorne. A mill for drainage purposes stood in the former brick and tile works. In 1872 an employee, William Brown (1852-1904) who had previously worked in brickyards at Braintree, Felstead and Chelmsford lost an arm in the cog wheels of the wash pan. The use of a wash pan indicates the clay contained stones which required separation. The Bridgemarsh Brickfields Co. Limited, of which Luke Bishop was manager, had an office at 28 Budge Row, London E.C. This company ceased trading during the early 1880s but in 1892 another attempt to revive the brick making industry on the island was made and proved a total failure. Large sums of money were unfortunately sunk here but its situation and other enormous disadvantages not least the poor drainage and clay made it impossible to work at a profit. The island, which is not inhabited, has now reverted back to marshland and is all overgrown. There are no surviving buildings relating to the former brick works. More information is needed on site survival. In the Essex Directories of 1878 and 1882 the London Stock Brick Co. Limited was also listed under Latchingdon but its site has not been determined unless it was also on Bridgemarsh Island. <1> See aerial photograph <2>. NGR: TL 89009690