Poynton

From the brickworks close to Poynton Station.

Poynton, Cheshire, once had an extensive coal mining industry that lasted until 1935. Ancillary to this were the brick and gas industries which served the local area and population. The brickworks and gasworks were located next to each other and both served by the colliery railway system.

Brickworks

In 1875 the colliery agent described the brickworks in his annual report:

"Extensive brickworks have been erected near the railway junction just named They have been established mainly for the purpose of utilising the pit shales drawn in the course of coal work and also for the manufacture of ordinary bricks The works comprise a steam engine with a 16 inch cylinder, Boiler, Crushing and Grinding Machinery, pug mill and brick making machine (Morands). The machinery was made by Messrs. Easton and Tattersall of Leeds. It is now making good bricks but has been very troublesome chiefly owing to its parts not being sufficiently strong and to other defects in construction. These have apparently been remedied and I hope there will be no more drawbacks. The machine will by fair going make 2 million bricks, per annum, at a labour cost of 10s per thousand.

A brick drying shed in which the drying is effected by the exhaust steam of the engine has also been put up: the application of the steam has been quite successful. A patent brick kiln (Pollock & Mitchell) with 8 chambers has also been built with a chimney 120 feet in height- This is not yet in full operation but the burning has been commenced: it will probably have to be burnt off a time or two before the bricks will be as hard as they ought to be.

The cost of the brickworks has been about £3000"

The brickworks had closed by 1920 when it was offered for sale along with most of the Vernon Estate. The 1:10560 O.S.map of 1910 shows that a third circular kiln had been added. By 1920 the kilns and railway siding remained but the building which housed the machinery had gone. Today the main site is a mixture of scrub, water filled pits and some foundations, whilst the clay field on the other side of the railway has been levelled and made into a park.