Hi people, I’ve been a member for years but never had the balls to actually post something so this is my first post so no pisstaking please!! I know this place has already been reported loads but I thought the place looked great so luckily me an my friend was working relatively close so we had a drive over. I don’t know anything about this place so I just copied some info from wiki sorry!
The Visit
We drove straight to the main gate to see if there was any sort of security as it was day time and straight away we saw the old gate house being used as a security hut with a car parked next to it so we had to find another way in. The fence surrounding the whole site looks easy to get over but being in the work van we didn’t fancy getting caught so we parked in what looked like an old lorry entrance to the site further down the road. The rail line splits the site so we stayed on the one side away from security. This side was still brilliant to walk around even with a lot of fire damage which is a shame. Took a fair few photos which you probably all seen anyway but oh well! Enjoy the photos, thanks!
The History
Originally two Wootton farming settlements, Wootton Pillinge and neighbouring Wootton Broadmead, the Wootton Pillinge LBC village was in 1936 renamed Stewartby, taking its new name from the Stewart family, directors of London Brick Company since 1900. The family's son Sir Malcolm Stewart had amalgamated LBC with the Forders Company in the village in the 1920s.
Stewartby was the largest brickworks in terms of output in the world. The site closed in 2008 as the owners, Hanson’s could not meet UK limits for the sulphur dioxide emissions. The four chimneys remaining were due to be demolished upon closure but these have since been listed for preservation of Bedfordshire's brick-related history and will remain.
The Visit
We drove straight to the main gate to see if there was any sort of security as it was day time and straight away we saw the old gate house being used as a security hut with a car parked next to it so we had to find another way in. The fence surrounding the whole site looks easy to get over but being in the work van we didn’t fancy getting caught so we parked in what looked like an old lorry entrance to the site further down the road. The rail line splits the site so we stayed on the one side away from security. This side was still brilliant to walk around even with a lot of fire damage which is a shame. Took a fair few photos which you probably all seen anyway but oh well! Enjoy the photos, thanks!
The History
Originally two Wootton farming settlements, Wootton Pillinge and neighbouring Wootton Broadmead, the Wootton Pillinge LBC village was in 1936 renamed Stewartby, taking its new name from the Stewart family, directors of London Brick Company since 1900. The family's son Sir Malcolm Stewart had amalgamated LBC with the Forders Company in the village in the 1920s.
Stewartby was the largest brickworks in terms of output in the world. The site closed in 2008 as the owners, Hanson’s could not meet UK limits for the sulphur dioxide emissions. The four chimneys remaining were due to be demolished upon closure but these have since been listed for preservation of Bedfordshire's brick-related history and will remain.
Last edited:
For example February2021
