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Bricks represent approximately 4% of the cost of a new building, yet they can account for 70% of the look. The slight extra cost of using Wight Bricks is marginal, yet the resulting brickwork will give a building unique character and also add to its ‘green’ credentials
An Isle of Wight resident, Tim Bristow, has started making miniature bricks with Isle of Wight clay, and has also produced full size test bricks, again with Isle of Wight clay (sometimes blended with Yorkshire clay). He also slipcasts and glazes onto bone china and terracotta clay blended with small amounts of Wight clay off the local beaches.
He has restarted (in a very small way) brickmaking on the Island.
Tim Bristow has been making bricks since 1980. He has made made bricks in Devon, South Australia, Lancashire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, North Yorkshire and now the Isle of Wight. A co-founder of the York Handmade Brick Company in 1986, prior to this he was with the London Brick Company. Having sold his shareholding with the York Handmade Brick Company 17 years ago. As York Handmade Brick Sales operating from the ClayClay shop he now sells York Handmade Bricks in the south of England, Channel Islands, Eire and Northern Ireland.. He says, 'When I was brickmaking in Australia in the early eighties the biggest sellers, and the most expensive bricks, were the rough ones - and my aim was to do the same in the UK, which I achieved. My 'passion' is old looking new bricks, and I'm now getting a brickmaking going again on the Isle of Wight.' As a trustee of the National Brickmaking museum at Bursledon, Hants he is hoping to start manufacturing bricks for display and sale Starting 2019.
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