The newspaper articles and brick photographs were kindly sent to me by Martyn Fretwell, whose own brickworks research is detailed in the sources listed below.

In 1898 the Bury St Edmunds Brick Company was formed by John G. Oliver, Charles E. Salmon, Thomas Shillitoe, and I. Campbell Smith, each having shares of £350 in the business.

By 7th May 1898 the company had obviously begun building new kilns and sheds as they advertised that they "have a large quantity of good Turf cut, price 5/- per hundred, purchaser to cart. Apply to F Clay, Foreman."

On 24th June the advert in the Bury Free Press read, "Wanted, 2 Burners - F Clay, Bury St Edmund's Brick Co. Nowton Road."

On 1st July, 1899 the Company wrote to the Bury Free Press, "Dear Sir, We beg to inform you that we are showing samples of Red Bricks at our works, and that our Foreman will be pleased to give quotations upon application. Yours faithfully, The Bury St Edmund's Brick Co.
P.S. - Builders carting Bricks away will have the privilege of tipping clean rubbish free of charge."

The article explains that the works are, of course, all new and the undertaking is being carried on in a far more elaborate fashion than formerly. The property was acquired by a syndicate a little over a year ago, being purchased from Mr Wainwright, and the site had formerly been used for brick making by Mr Durrant, a local brickmaker.

These four acres were supplemented by 50 more acres, chiefly from the Town Council.

The old "six sail mill" on the site was demolished and material used in partly building a new kiln......

The seams of clay on the site are "thick, rich and continuous".

The Breethings moulding machine could make 16 bricks a minute, each stamped 'B B C', and cost £200.

The chief difficulty is a lack of clean sand on site, it was now having to be bought from West Stow.

At this time there was a staff of 16 hands.

In the Bury Free Press for 10th March, 1900, the company were advertising as follows:- "Wanted, good steady Brick Yard Hands- Apply Manager Bury Brick Co., Nowton Road, Bury St Edmunds."

Unfortunately this early optimism soon faded away. Graeme Perry's article for the British Brick Society described its demise.

In 1900, there was a loss on trading for the year shown as £182 5s. 2d., and in 190l a further loss of £253 13a. 10d. was incurred. Looking at production figures, losses were accounted for by the fact that insufficient best quality bricks were produced from the kilns. In 1901, out of total production of nearly 600,000 bricks only 121,000 bricks were of best quality and 58,000 specials were made; i.e. only one third of the production could be sold at the best price. Red bricks were produced here and from samples found it would seem that when the bricks were properly fired they were of excellent quality.

Difficulties seem to have continued, and with poor results an application was made to the Bury St Edmunds Borough Council for the surrender of the lease of the land forming the brickworks. This was agreed to subject to the land being restored to its original condition if the council was unable to find a new tenant for the purpose of a brickfield; unless the council should desire to leave it in its present state.

Closure took place in September 1905.

In January 1906 the land was offered to Mr W. Morley on a lease for seven or fourteen years at a fixed rent of £7 10s. 0d. per annum and a royalty of 1s. 6d. per 1000 bricks made with not less than £10 in any one year to be paid.

In March 1906 Mr Morley made a counter offer of £6 0s. 0d. per year and 1s. 0d. per 1000 brick as royalties of not less than £10 in any one year or to buy the land for £50 0s. 0d.

This offer was not accepted and in September 1906 the land was offered on the same terms as to Mr Morley to Messrs Wells and Nunn. They were agreeable to the rent but offered ls. 0d. per 1000 bricks for royalties, or 1s. 6d. per 100 bricks as royalties with rent free terms. This also was not accepted.

Matters rested there until the end of the Great War. Thousands of men returning from war service needed work and accommodation.

At a conference on housing, held at Norwich in May 1919, the Housing Commission had asked for information to know if there were any brickyards in this area which could be opened to help the unemployment position. This led Bury St Edmunds council to look again at the Nowton Road yard.

Thus, in February 1921, Bury St Edmunds Borough Council considered the question of re-opening the Southgate brickyard and the proposal that an expert be engaged to report on the quality and quantity of brick earth.

Perhaps mindful of past problems, this proposal was rejected.

• 1806 Unknown Durrant family member
• 1823-1855 Augustine Durrant, G. Durrant
• 1855-1859 Augustine Durrant
• 1859-1865 Robert George Durrant
• 1865-1885 Robert George Durrant, Robert J. Durrant
• 1885-1896 Robert George Durrant
• 1896-1898 Works dormant
• 1898-1905 John G. Oliver, Charles E. Salmon, Thomas Shillitoe, I. Campbell Smith, all trading as Bury St Edmunds Brick Co.
• 1905 Works closed

Today this is a residential area which includes some allotment land and a large pit now used as a playground, behind numbers 60 to 62 Nowton Road. There is a Blue Plaque about 9-10 inches in circumference at Anselm Lodge, 66, Nowton Road. The text says "Southgate Brick and Tile Works 1844-1926".