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J C Arber's Brickworks
Haverhill enjoyed at least six brickworks sites.
These are grouped both to the east of the town and to the west. Arber's Brickworks was short lived, but situated on the Withersfield Road to the west of Haverhill.
I believe that Meldham Bridge was his main brickworks, but that he held several plots of land closer to Haverhill, labelled on this map also as Brickworks in two places either side of Withersfield Road. These were fields of brickearth which could be exploted when required.
It first appears on the OS 6 inch map revision of 1896, and was put up for sale by auction on 17th March 1899, following the death of long established builder, Mr J C Arber. As well as his Haverhill property being sold, his Withersfield holdings of Proach Cottage, a brickearth site of 192 ft frontage and 104 ft depth, and three parcels of land comprising his brickworks of one acre, and machinery, was for sale.
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In March 1899 Mr Arber's executors auctioned off his brickworks and other properties, both in Haverhill and adjoining parish of Withersfield. Lot 17, the brickworks over three plots was withdrawn from sale after 3 bids only reached £27. A few weeks later, Stephen Wiles announced that he had acquired J C Arber's Building and Construction business and intended to carry it on as a going concern.
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In 1906 Stephen Wiles & Son announced that the head office of their business would move to Erith in Kent, but that the Brickworks in Withersfield Road will be carried on as usual. Enquiries for Bricks, Sand, Stone and Shingle should be made to the Foreman, on the Works, or at Alpha Villas adjoining.
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The area today Today this site is all part of the expanding town of Haverhill with new homes for an expanding population. Today's builders source all their bricks from the great national brickfields of the midlands. Meldham bridge road junction is now a major roundabout on the A1307.
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Summary of the owners or managers
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British Brick Society newsletter "Information No 26, April 2014,
Suffolk Heritage Explorer Reference BOT 016
Suffolk Review, Vol 5, 1980 - 1988 on ‘Suffolk Brickmaking’ by Robert Malster. (Suffolk Local History Council, Summer 1983, Vol 5, No 4).
Suffolk Industrial Archaeology Society newsletter No 21 to 23, 1988, "Brick Kilns in Suffolk" by C J Pankhurst
Website - David Kitching's website - Brick Section
Website - Martyn Fretwell's blog on bricks etc
Photos of bricks by Martyn Fretwell unless stated.
Page created on 25th November, 2023
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