Hammill Brick occupies the site of the former Hammill (or Woodnesborough) Colliery. Construction was started in 1910 by Arthur Burr's Goodnestone & Woodnesborough Colliery Ltd, and an extensive range of surface buildings had been erected by 1911 including an engine house, workshops and a chimney.
No further work was to be undertaken until a branch from the East Kent Light Railway was completed, and by 1914 no sinking had yet started. At the outbreak of WW1, all further development of the site was halted for the duration of hostilities. Shortly after the war started the colliery was taken over by the Army for a cavalry re-mount unit, a large number of horses being stabled in the colliery buildings.
Around this time Intermediate Equipments, the Holding Company, began to dispose of surface plant that had already been installed.
After the war, no further development was undertaken, but apart from the wooden headgear the surface buildings were still complete in 1923 when the mine was sold to Pearson & Dorman Long, owners of Betteshanger Colliery.
They kept the mineral rights and sold the colliery to the Hammill Brick Co. who built a brickworks on the site utilising some of the old colliery buildings, opening in June 1927.
Hammill Brick continued trading until 2006, when a downturn in fortunes lead to the site running down. Despite an attempt to revitalise the company, the brickworks shut in 2008 and has been run on a care & maintenance basis ever since in the hope of keeping the site viable for a buyer.
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No further work was to be undertaken until a branch from the East Kent Light Railway was completed, and by 1914 no sinking had yet started. At the outbreak of WW1, all further development of the site was halted for the duration of hostilities. Shortly after the war started the colliery was taken over by the Army for a cavalry re-mount unit, a large number of horses being stabled in the colliery buildings.
Around this time Intermediate Equipments, the Holding Company, began to dispose of surface plant that had already been installed.
After the war, no further development was undertaken, but apart from the wooden headgear the surface buildings were still complete in 1923 when the mine was sold to Pearson & Dorman Long, owners of Betteshanger Colliery.
They kept the mineral rights and sold the colliery to the Hammill Brick Co. who built a brickworks on the site utilising some of the old colliery buildings, opening in June 1927.
Hammill Brick continued trading until 2006, when a downturn in fortunes lead to the site running down. Despite an attempt to revitalise the company, the brickworks shut in 2008 and has been run on a care & maintenance basis ever since in the hope of keeping the site viable for a buyer.
The Brickworks
The Forge
(A maintenance log for the brick making machinery found under several layers of dust)
The Army Camp Nissen Huts
Engine House & Workshops
The Forge
(A maintenance log for the brick making machinery found under several layers of dust)
The Army Camp Nissen Huts
Engine House & Workshops
Thanks for looking...
