How to Identify Brick Colours by Area
If you’ve been around different parts of the UK, you may have noticed that bricks and blocks often vary in colour depending on your location. UK bricks are rarely manufactured and supplied in one single colour, and some areas still have a specific brick colour associated with them.
What Colour are the Bricks in my Area?
Regardless of brick texture and colour, modern UK bricks have the structural stability, performance and physical properties to create almost any kind of innovative commercial building.
You could argue the area of the built environment is secondary given the availability of many brick types, whether handmade bricks, machine-made bricks, facing bricks, engineering bricks and so on, with these products being accessible in almost any colour you require these days.
That said, some areas in the UK still have a higher proportion of specific brick colours. If you’re relying on local brick manufacturers, you may benefit from knowing the typical colours of bricks based on where you’re situated. Brick colours largely depend on the clay used to make it and how the bricks are fired.
What are the Most Common Brick Colours?
Generally speaking, bricks will fall into four primary categories: reds, browns, buffs and blacks/blues.
As said earlier, brick colour is primarily dictated by the local area’s clay composition, the firing process, and any tinting or colouring applied during the brick manufacturing process.
There are many variations within these categories, but bricks will generally be one of these four.
Why Do Different Regions in the UK have Varying Brick Colours?
Historically, when construction work was done in a particular area, local clay would be used in brick manufacturing.
Centuries ago, national transport links were not as refined or connected as today, so clay bricks wouldn’t be moved from location to location as frequently. Builders would typically use dry clay from local quarries, firing the raw brick in tunnel kilns.
With older brick buildings, the products’ colour and texture are usually a good indicator of the geological landscape they came from. The impact of clay would have had a more significant effect on bricks from centuries past because the manufacturing techniques were not as developed as those used today.
How Brick Manufacturing Impacted Colours of Bricks
Over time, changes would be implemented in brick manufacturing and quarrying, leading to a broader range of brick colours becoming available. New quarrying techniques were explored, allowing for deeper clay extraction, meaning that stronger, high-performance bricks would make their way into commercial projects.
The abolishment of the brick tax in 1850 meant a significant barrier was removed, giving the UK brick industry greater resources to improve mixing and firing.
The combination of these factors paved the way for more diverse brick colours in local areas. Despite this, there was still an economic benefit to using locally-sourced raw materials, with many also preferring to preserve the area’s heritage.
Unique Brick Colours
So which colours of bricks are you likely to find? A general rule of thumb to remember is you’ll find darker-toned bricks in the north, with paler shades in the south.
Bricks in London
London Stock bricks take their name from the popular townhouses and city buildings in the area. These light-yellow bricks were frequently used throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, with colour variations ranging from dark gold and buff tints to pastel beige.
Bricks in the Midlands
Red and orange brick buildings have historically found a presence in the shire counties. You may find classic brick types such as Farmhouse Orange and Staffordshire Blue from this region.
Bricks in the South East
Clays located in Sussex and Kent tend to have higher iron oxide content, creating bricks frequently used in royal buildings and ancient townhouses. Cambridgeshire is one particular area that hosts distinctive white buff bricks with a sandy texture.
Bricks in Yorkshire
Industrial or mining towns in the north are home to many grey bricks and products with dark buff tints. This largely stems from the fumes and ash from the industrial era, also finding their way into the clay used.
Naturally, many other colours are used all over the UK, regardless of heritage and history.