KHS 99 - Kirkleatham
Hall School, Redcar and Cleveland
Ceramic
Building Materials
by S Garside-Neville
Introduction
One
brick from a sandstone and brick 'culvert' was submitted by Pre-Construct
Archaeology Ltd for assessment. The
brick comes from the site of Kirkleatham Hall School. The school is built on the site of Kirkleatham Hall, built 1669
and destroyed only in 1956.
Post medieval material
The
brick is a deep orange colour, with a covering of grey mortar. The fabric is dense, and the brick was
probably slop moulded (where the brick mould was rinsed in water, rather than
than dipped in sanded). There is a
turning mark on the bottom of the brick, where it was levered off the moulding
table. It measures L230B117-120T73,
metric (L91/8B45/8-43/4T27/8,
imperial)
Conclusion
The
dating of bricks is quite problematic in that brick sizes tend to be regional
in nature. Although legislation is made
for various sizes during the centuries it often proves to be ignored in the
areas outside London. However, there
are general sizes and themes running through brick measurements. In this case, such a thick brick is unlikely
to date before the early 18th century, and may well have been made during the
19th century when large thick bricks were in favour.
References
Betts
I M, 1985. A Scientific investigation of the brick and tile industry of York to
the mid-eighteenth century. Bradford
University (unpublished PhD thesis)
Brunskill
R W, 1990. Brick building in Britain Gollancz
Lloyd
N, 1925. A history of English brickwork
H Greville Montgomery (reprinted
1990, Antique Collectors' Club)
Context Listing
Context Form/s Date Spot
Range Date
13 Brick (L230B120T73) e18-m19th 18th-19th
sgn