Site of Brickworks West of Wootton Street, and north of New Street, Bedworth

1 Site of brickworks marked on OS map of 1886.
2The trial trenching uncovered the remains of three late 19th century brick kilns and an associated structure which was probably originally the drying shed. The excavation was then extended around the kilns to permit more extensive and detailed recording. The southernmost kiln was a circular structure while the northern two were rectangular.
The circular kiln and one of the rectangular kilns were of the smple updraught type. The other rectangualr kiln had been at some stage a downdraught type, but was later converted to updraught operation. This is unusual, as the downdraught system is more advanced, and technically and economically superior. Documentary evidence indicated that the original company was taken over around 1897, and a new larger brickworks set up on the adjacent site to the west to replace the original works.