NCB Hamstead

Work to erect the brickworks at Hamstead began in 1876 at the same time as the colliery was being developed. In 1929 the Hamstead Brick Company Ltd advertised that a new kiln had recently been installed. It was said to be of a type invented by Alvis Habla of Czechoslovakia. The kiln was 84 ft long and 63 ft wide and was of the zigzag Hoffman type. The company later stated that it operated a Staffordshire Continuous Kiln containing 20 burning chambers, each holding 20,000 bricks. Shale for brickmaking was brought from Hamstead Colliery by an aerial ropeway. It would appear that the brickworks was absorbed by the National Coal Board along with the colliery in 1947. In 1963 the works was producing pressed commons but in March 1965 the colliery closed and the brickworks was certainly long closed by 1968.