Radley College Chapel Extension (photo: David Jerred Miles)
This year Northcot Brick is celebrating a century of inspirational, award-winning brick making! As a passionate advocate of modern and heritage brick architecture, the company is well known for the warm tones and character of its handmade, wirecut, and reclaimed bricks, and its ability to match a whole host of regional variations.
This advanced bespoke capability is rooted in Northcot’s unique heritage and continuous innovation, which combines age-old hand throwing and traditional kiln firing with highly sophisticated weathering techniques, earning the company the title ‘Home of Master Brickmakers’.
In celebration of its 100-year history, Northcot will be giving behind-the-scenes tours of its historic brickworks and unveiling its brand-new range of products in a series of exclusive open days.
A History steeped in Craftsmanship
Originally known as Northwick Brick & Tiles, the company was established in 1925 by Captain E. G. Spencer-Churchill, Winston Churchill’s cousin, to provide local jobs and housing. Though the original intention was to grow basket making material, a vast seam of Lower Jurassic and Middle Lias blue clay was discovered. On the advice of his friend, the well-known architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Captain Churchill set up a brickworks employing approximately 300 men and women.
Battersea Power Station. (photo: David Jerred Miles)
When Scott designed Battersea Power Station in the 1930s, then Europe’s largest brick-built building, he used the company’s Golden Brown pressed bricks. Almost a century later, Northcot was tasked with making 1.3 million bricks entirely by hand in two blends each comprising six or seven brick colours to match the exterior pre-war walls as part of the Power Station’s prestigious restoration and development. These were made by a team of five master brickmakers!
Flagship Award-Winning Projects
Northcot is proud to be associated with five Brick Development Association (BDA) Supreme Award winners, several RIBA Nationals and a Stirling Prize winner, as a testament to its craftsmanship, versatility and innovation.
Manchester’s Whitworth Gallery (photo: Alan Williams/VIEW Pictures)
Manchester’s Whitworth Gallery (MUMA – Supreme Winner 2015)
This modern gallery extension featured a bespoke ‘Whitworth Blend’ of smooth machine-made bricks reflecting the dark red bricks of the original Edwardian building.
Newport Street Gallery (photo: Anthony Weller / VIEW Pictures)
Newport Street Gallery (Caruso St John – Supreme Winner 2016).
Two distinct bespoke (pale and dark) brick blends were created for the Newport Street Gallery to match the ‘common’ style brick in the detailed semi-industrial facades of the original listed buildings.
Dorothy Garrod Building (photo: David Jerred Miles)
Dorothy Garrod Building (Walters & Cohen – Supreme Winner 2019)
To reflect the architectural heritage of Newnham College, the intricate facades of the Dorothy Garrod Building were made up of a bespoke blend of four different types of handmade red bricks.  Contemporary ‘hit-and-miss’ brickwork featured solid bricks with five exposed faces.
Radley College Chapel Extension (photo: David Jerred Miles)
Radley College Chapel Extension (Purcell – Supreme Winner 2022)
This impressive extension required three bespoke handmade and machine-made blends in imperial sizes, plus many special shapes to match the colour and texture of the Grade II* listed Victorian Chapel.
Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings (photo: David Jerred Miles)
Shrewsbury’s Flaxmill Maltings (Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios – Supreme Winner 2023)
Northcot made 90,000 bricks in three different bespoke blends with matching specials to match the naturally aged originals of the historic flaxmill. The hand-throwing of ‘Great Bricks’, one-third larger than standard bricks, required immense skill.
Come and see our new brick range!
As part of its centenary celebrations, Northcot is giving architects a preview of its latest and radically new range of bricks, which will elevate the design potential of machine-made bricks.
The new Artisan Range is the first of its kind to combine the production efficiencies of wirecut bricks with an immense palette of subtly weathered clay tones, supplied as standard.
To find out more or book your place on our July 1st or July 9th Open Days, call 01386 700551, email, or visit the Northcot Brick website.
