BRICK MANUFACTURING
Brick Making Process
Authentic brick making begins with natural material, careful hands, and time-honoured methods. At Sussex Handmade Brick, our manufacturing process of brick reflects over a century of traditional British craftsmanship, shaped by our owned reserves of natural brick earth and refined through generations of skilled brickmakers.
I.
Sourcing Natural Brick Earth
Our process begins with our own reserves of natural brick earth — high-silica clay found within the South and East of England.
Unlike many modern alternatives, our brick earth requires minimal additives. Its natural composition produces rich, authentic colour without stains or pigments. This gives our bricks their depth of tone and regionally faithful character from the outset.
II.
Preparing the Clay
The brick earth is carefully prepared to achieve the correct consistency for traditional brick making.
By respecting the natural properties of the clay, we preserve the subtle variation that defines genuine handmade bricks and avoid unnecessary processing. This stage is essential in determining the finished texture, strength, and colour response during firing bricks in the kiln.
III.
Hand Throwing
Each brick is individually moulded by hand using traditional timber moulds. This is where authentic character is formed.
The clay is lightly sanded and thrown into the mould, creating subtle creasing marks and natural surface variation. With minimal sand use this allows the clay itself to define the finish, a distinctive feature of Sussex Handmade Brick.
IV.
Brick Drying
Once moulded, bricks are dried over two to three days in carefully heated drying rooms.
Controlled drying allows moisture to evaporate gradually, reducing stress within the clay before entering the brick kilns. This careful preparation supports strength and consistency during the brick firing process.
V.
Firing in Traditional Brick Kilns
The dried bricks are stacked and loaded into our brick kilns for firing.
The brick firing process transforms raw brick earth into durable bricks. Temperatures are carefully controlled to achieve structural integrity while preserving natural colour variation.
Firing bricks is both science and judgement. Time, heat, and clay composition interact to produce the distinctive spectrum of colours, from warm light oranges through reds, purples, and browns that define our range.
VI.
Quality Inspection & Sorting
After firing, each batch is inspected for colour range, dimensional accuracy, and surface character.
Because our bricks are handmade, natural variation is expected and valued. However, we maintain technical accuracy and dependable quality, ensuring every brick is fit for conservation, restoration, or high-quality new build projects.
