London Brick Company
London Brick Company is a British brickmaking brand best known for Fletton bricks produced from lower Oxford clay.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
London Brick Company is a historic British brick manufacturer whose name is closely associated with Fletton bricks, a category of bricks made from the lower Oxford clay deposits found around Peterborough and the Marston Vale. The material contains carbonaceous matter, reducing the amount of additional fuel needed during firing and helping make Fletton production economically significant in the twentieth century. The company developed from the brickmaking activities of John Cathles Hill, a developer and architect who built houses in London and Peterborough. In 1889, Hill purchased the small T.W. Hardy & Sons brickyard at Fletton near Peterborough. The business was incorporated as the London Brick Company in 1900. It subsequently experienced financial difficulty, and a receiver was appointed in 1912. Hill died in 1915, while the receivership ended in 1919 and his son continued the business. The capital-intensive Fletton industry was subject to pronounced fluctuations in construction demand. Consolidation followed the First World War, and in 1923 London Brick merged with B.J. Forder, a major rival associated with Malcolm Stewart. The combined enterprise was for a period known as L.B.C. & Forders. Through further acquisitions during the late 1920s, it established a dominant position in the Fletton market. By 1931, annual output had reached approximately one billion bricks; by 1935, the company produced more than 1.5 billion, representing about 60 percent of Fletton industry output. Pre-war production later reached roughly 1.75 billion bricks. Demand grew strongly during the post-war housing expansion, and brick sales reached a peak in 1967. As the market later weakened, the company diversified beyond its core manufacturing activity. It established London Brick Landfill, which used former clay pits in the Marston Vale for the disposal of household and industrial waste. That operation was later merged into Shanks Group in 1988. Between 1968 and 1971, London Brick acquired the remaining major Fletton competitors, including Marston Valley Brick Company. These transactions gave it a monopoly in the Fletton brick market. In 1973, reported brick sales were 2.88 billion, equivalent to about 43 percent of the wider British brick market at the time. The company was acquired by Hanson plc in 1984. A major later change came in February 2008, when Hanson closed brickmaking operations at Stewartby in the Marston Vale. The closure was linked to difficulties complying with United Kingdom sulphur-emission requirements, although the plant was described as meeting applicable European Union requirements. Fletton production subsequently became concentrated around Peterborough, while the former Marston Vale site entered redevelopment planning, including housing proposals. The London Brick name remains associated with British construction materials and is now part of the Forterra plc portfolio. The company has estimated that Fletton bricks have been used in approximately five million homes in the United Kingdom.
History
London Brick Company originated in the late nineteenth-century expansion of brickmaking around Peterborough. John Cathles Hill, a developer-architect active in housebuilding in London and Peterborough, acquired the T.W. Hardy & Sons brickyard at Fletton in 1889. Fletton became important because the local lower Oxford clay contained carbonaceous material. When fired, this reduced the quantity of supplementary fuel required, giving the resulting bricks a cost advantage and making the process suitable for large-scale production. The enterprise was incorporated under the London Brick Company name in 1900. Its early development was not uninterrupted: financial problems led to the appointment of a receiver in 1912. Hill died in 1915, and after the receivership ended in 1919, his son continued the business. The wider Fletton sector was highly capital intensive and dependent on the cyclical construction market, leading to calls for consolidation after the First World War. In 1923, London Brick merged with B.J. Forder, a major Fletton grouping associated with Malcolm Stewart. The enlarged business was temporarily known as L.B.C. & Forders. It acquired additional brick firms during the later 1920s and became the leading force in Fletton production. Output reached about one billion bricks annually by 1931 and exceeded 1.5 billion by 1935. Its share of Fletton output was then reported at approximately 60 percent, while peak pre-war production reached around 1.75 billion bricks. The post-war housing boom created another period of strong demand. Sales rose until reaching a high point in 1967, after which brick demand declined. The company responded partly through diversification. London Brick Landfill used exhausted clay pits in the Marston Vale for tipping household and industrial refuse. This non-brickmaking business was later transferred through a merger with Shanks Group in 1988. The company also pursued consolidation in its core sector. From 1968 to 1971, it acquired its three remaining Fletton competitors, including Marston Valley Brick Company. This left London Brick with a monopoly in the Fletton market. In 1973, its brick sales were reported at 2.88 billion, approximately 43 percent of the total United Kingdom brick market. Hanson plc acquired the company in 1984. The Marston Vale remained an important production area until environmental regulation and operating economics altered the manufacturing footprint. In February 2008, Hanson closed the Stewartby brickworks after difficulties meeting United Kingdom sulphur-emission requirements, despite the plant meeting European Union requirements as described in the reference account. Production of Fletton brick subsequently became concentrated at Peterborough, and the Stewartby area was considered for redevelopment, including housing. The London Brick brand is now owned by Forterra plc and continues to represent one of the best-known historic names in British brickmaking. The company has estimated that Fletton bricks have been used in around five million United Kingdom homes.
- 2008
Stewartby brickmaking closes
[1]Brickmaking at Stewartby was closed because of difficulties meeting United Kingdom sulphur-emission requirements, concentrating Fletton production around Peterborough.
- 1984
Acquisition by Hanson
[1]Hanson plc acquired London Brick Company.
- 1973
Brick sales reach 2.88 billion
[1]Reported brick sales totalled 2.88 billion, equivalent to approximately 43 percent of the United Kingdom brick market.
- 1971
Fletton market consolidation is completed
[1]The acquisition of the remaining major Fletton competitors, including Marston Valley Brick Company, gave London Brick a monopoly in that market.
- 1968
Competitor acquisition programme begins
[1]London Brick began acquiring its remaining major Fletton competitors, a process continuing through 1971.
- 1967
Post-war brick sales peak
[1]Brick sales reached a post-war high before the market entered a period of decline.
- 1935
Production exceeds 1.5 billion bricks
[1]Output exceeded 1.5 billion bricks, representing about 60 percent of Fletton industry production.
- 1931
Annual output reaches one billion bricks
[1]The expanding company reported annual production of approximately one billion bricks.
- 1923
Merger with B.J. Forder
[1]London Brick merged with Malcolm Stewart's B.J. Forder, creating a larger Fletton industry group later known for a period as L.B.C. & Forders.
- 1912
A receiver is appointed
[1]Financial difficulties led to the appointment of a receiver to manage the company.
Products and positioning
A heritage British brickmaking name associated with mass-market construction, locally sourced Oxford clay, and the industrial-scale production of Fletton bricks.
Clay building brick
Fletton brick
Fletton is the generic name for bricks made from lower Oxford clay, particularly associated with the Peterborough and Marston Vale brickmaking districts. The clay's carbonaceous content lowers firing-fuel requirements, supporting economical high-volume production. Fletton bricks became a major component of twentieth-century British housebuilding and remain the product category most strongly associated with the London Brick name.
Brand decisions
2008
Close Stewartby brickmaking operationsStrategyBackground
The Stewartby works faced difficulty complying with United Kingdom sulphur-emission requirements.
Action taken
Hanson closed brickmaking operations at Stewartby and concentrated Fletton production around Peterborough.
Aftermath
The former Marston Vale production site was considered for redevelopment, including housing, while Peterborough became the principal centre of Fletton production.
1968
Acquire the remaining Fletton competitorsM&ABackground
After brick sales peaked in 1967, London Brick pursued further consolidation while the market began to weaken.
Action taken
Between 1968 and 1971, the company acquired its three remaining Fletton competitors, including Marston Valley Brick Company.
Aftermath
The acquisitions gave London Brick a monopoly in the Fletton brick market.
1923
Merge with B.J. ForderM&ABackground
The Fletton brick industry faced cyclical demand and high capital requirements, encouraging consolidation among its principal producers.
Action taken
London Brick combined with B.J. Forder, forming a larger business that was temporarily known as L.B.C. & Forders.
Aftermath
The enlarged company acquired further brick businesses and became dominant in the Fletton sector.
Sources1 sources
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