UK Bricks and Brick Manufacturing History
Bricks are, without a doubt, some of the oldest and most widely-used building materials in the world. Even in today’s society, bricks remain incredibly versatile in terms of their structural shape and performance characteristics. Many architects can now buy bricks in various colours, textures, and combinations.
However, when looking at the composition of UK bricks, it’s important to take a step back and occasionally reflect on the history of this trendsetting building material. Without it, we would not have been able to witness many of the world’s most iconic structural developments. This short guide summarises brick history and how brick suppliers like Modular Clay Products can deliver modern versions of iconic, archaic brickwork.
History of Bricks
Bricks are so commonplace nowadays that many people invariably don’t even notice them. That could be due to the sheer volume of brick buildings that make up much of the urban fabric of towns and cities worldwide.
That said, if you’ve ever wondered about how and when clay bricks first came to be, this guide should hopefully give you some insight. It should help you learn about the history of brickwork and brick manufacturing processes, as well as how this has shaped the future of sourcing bricks for architects that want to create striking modern designs with traditional materials.
When Were Bricks First Used?
Facing bricks have been around for an incredibly long time, with the earliest bricks dating back to approximately 7000 BC when they were found in southern Turkey, around the city of Jericho. These first bricks were made from mud clay, shaped into the standard brick shape and subsequently sun-dried.
From a similar time period, bricks were discovered in areas of the Middle East and around the Persian Gulf. Similarly, houses made from air-dried soft mud bricks have been found in Pakistan and across South East Asia. Research shows that sun-dried bricks were used during Ancient Egyptian times, and even fired bricks were excavated from some areas of China.
Bricks and blocks did not necessarily originate from one particular region, given that they have been discovered in various places simultaneously. However, one of the most well-known brick types in the world is long format brick, otherwise known as Roman brick.
Roman Bricks
The Romans made efficient use of fired clay bricks to create their structures. They could fire bricks en masse using mobile kilns, which sped up and expanded the brick production and brick manufacturing processes to the rest of the country.
Many commercial buildings in Europe can be traced back to the Roman Empire. It’s also important to note that brick production suffered from the empire’s fall, giving way to Italy, France, and Germany producing unique brick types and styles in the empire’s absence. The opportunity was there, given the lack of other natural building materials in these areas.
Although the Renaissance saw more forms of architecture surface, the exposed brickwork aesthetic fell out of favour. Bricks for external walls were regularly covered with plaster and render.
Until the Industrial Revolution, modern facing bricks became readily available for domestic and commercial use.
Future of UK Brick Manufacturing
Historically speaking, every brick was made by brick manufacturers hand moulding the raw brick clay before being fired in a tunnel kiln. The Industrial Revolution gave rise to increased mass production, which meant that construction costs were significantly reduced. By the early 1900s, brick manufacturing companies could produce tens of thousands of bricks each day.
As the modern urbanisation of cities worldwide continued, so did more methods of construction. Concrete, steel and other materials became common, primarily due to the financial and structural limitations placed on brick skyscrapers at the time.
However, clay facing bricks are seeing a vast stylistic revival in the construction of modern commercial buildings. Indeed, from an aesthetic point of view, there are many incredible advantages of bricks. The diversity of brick types, styles, textures, colours and bonding patterns allows plenty of room for unique designs, which retain outstanding durability, structural strength and weather resistance.
With the technological advancements at our fingertips, it’s possible to order high-quality bricks in just about any texture, shape and colour you desire. Visit our brick selector page for more information.