The Brickmakers of St Albans
A Talk given to the St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society at St Albans on 7th January 2003

Bernards Heath Brickmakers
1726

A large-scale map of Sandridge shows that in 1726 Bernards Heath had very similar boundaries to today, but that parts may only recently enclosed.

The area on either side of the Harpenden Road was shown with gentle mounds and pits - suggesting in had been heavily worked for brick earth.

John Broading and John Seed hath the Brickkiln on Barnet Heath

A rectangular building is marked on the south side of the "Road from St Albans to Lewton" with associated enclosures(?) but no acreage figures are given.

John Gape, Esq., hath a Mead - "The Brick Meadows"

This freehold property was the site of a brickworks in the 19th century.

Thomas Day hath Eleven Closes adjoining Barnet Heath, Thomas Kinderly [Kinder?] Tenant.

This property includes Brick Close (The Brockclose of 1556?) and Harvey Close. These closes were being used for agricultural purposed circa 1800 but were brickworks by the latter part of the 19th century.

Talk: It is quite clear that Bernard's Heath was a well established source of bricks by 1726. The ground on either side of the Luton (now Harpenden) Road shows signs of extensive working - while two enclosed plots have names which link them with brickmaking.

Supplementary Information

Source: An Exact Survey of all the Demesnes, Copyholds and Freeholds in the Mannor of Sandridge in Hertfordshire, together with the names of all the Fields, Copyholders, Freeholders and Tenants of the said Mannor. By J. P. Desmartz. 1726 [British Library (Manuscripts) Althrop P3]

If you can add to the information given above tell me.