Aston Hall Coal & Brick Co, Flintshire - obverse Premier brand 2

The Aston Hall works were situated on the slopes below Buckley Mountain. The works was established c1864 by Messrs Kershaw and taken over by the coal co in 1868 when there were two kilns in use.

This is the obverse face of a Premier brand brick. The company catalogue from the 1890's states:

"The Aston Hall Premier" bricks and terracotta are manufactured from a special clay of exceptional quality and unique character which is recognised by leading architects as producing the first and best Buff Goods in the kingdom. They are particularly noted for retaining their original colour and for not vegetating as is the case with the soft common buff bricks. The electric light has been placed throughout the works, and manufacture now goes on day and night.

The colliery closed in 1909 and, as the clay supplies had come from underground it was just a matter of time before the stockpile of some 10,800 tons was used up. The final dismantlement sale was on 24th July 1913.