PETER LOUGHLIN takes us to Bush Street in the centre of Middlesbrough where the bricks are paved with a highly unusual, and orangey, brick which calls itself the “Crossley Roadway Paver”.
“I believe they were laid in the 1930s by Crossley’s in an attempt to get Midddlesbrough council to lay all new streets with these blocks,” says Peter. “They are a much smoother drive for cars than the neighbouring streets which are lined with slag bricks, but I believe they cost about 1/4d per brick more than slag bricks so the council did not use them.
“Bush Street is left as an example of what might have been.”
Bush Street, Middlesbrough, with its orangey brickwork
John Crossley, from Stockton, opened a builder’s merchants in Middlesbrough in 1858, and in 1871 bought an old brickworks at Commondale, on the North York Moors. He went into brick production and became one of the largest brickmakers in the country – his bricks either have his name or the name of the dale embedded in them.
His son, Alfred, used the same clay to create art deco pottery which is nearly as sought after as lustrous Linthorpe pottery. The British Museum has an ornamental bottle that he made.
In the late 1930s, Crossley & Son was building Whinney Banks School in Middlesbrough and so persuaded Middlesbrough council to let them trial a road in their new pavers.
Although the bricks didn’t catch on, we believe there are other Crossley Roadway Pavers in Richmond Market Place (has anyone ever spotted these?) and in the old town at Beamish museum.
AS Memories 568 told, it is the 150th anniversary of the creation of the first slag bricks (above) in the Tees Valley, and these bluey-grey street linings are one of the distinctive features of the area. Joseph Woodward, of Darlington, began making them in 1872 by tipping molten slag from the bottom of Middlesbrough’s new blast furnaces into brick-shaped moulds.
This prevented the ironmasters from having to pay for their slag to be dumped – indeed, they began making money from it.
The slag bricks – more pleasantly called “scoria bricks” by Mr Woodward – were used to line the Tees Valley’s back lanes and yards because they were extremely hard wearing and waterproof, which meant that could be hygienically hosed down.
“Do not hit them with a hammer or clash two together because they can shatter,” warns Albert Curle, who has worked with them in Ferryhill. “The sharp pieces are like splintered glass and shoot into your skin and face.
“When bits break off, they smell like a stink bomb.
“After working with them, my knuckles used to ache, and I could hardly hold my knife and fork when having my tea at home.”
A wonderful display of ornamental, hexagonal slag bricks off Maude Street in central Darlington, taken by Emma Crawley. Aren't they beautiful?
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