Bricks have been used in construction for so long that they have become synonymous with solid, dependable buildings. From the 3000 BC Zhou dynasty to the Three Little Pigs, bricks have held a firm place in our built environment, our idioms and our storytelling.

Whilst ancient Roman legions brought mobile brick kilns with them on their travels - thus spreading the knowledge and use of clay bricks throughout the Empire - we have brickworks currently operating in the UK that have remained in the same location since the 1400s.

Locally produced bricks can lend a specific visual identity to an entire town or city, as happened with London stocks. Other bricks - exotically named, handmade specials like pamments, voussoirs, rubbers, soldiers, quoins and plinths - exist in thousands of different shapes and sizes, and can be produced bespoke for the restoration of listed buildings.

Facing and common bricks can be solid, frogged, cellular or hollow, whilst engineering bricks have a higher compressive strength and are suitable for below-ground use. Modern, machine-made concrete bricks (otherwise known as blocks) are cured rather than fired, and provide a lower-cost alternative.

Brickslip products, which replicate the look of traditional brickwork without the depth and weight, can also be found in the external wall cladding section on this website.