Fareham Brick-Making Industry Begins

1600

The brick-making industry that would define Fareham's economy for over three centuries began in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The local clay, a reddish tertiary deposit found in abundance around the town, proved ideal for making strong, durable bricks with a distinctive warm red colour. Fareham Reds, as they became known, were prized for their quality and appearance. The combination of good clay, timber fuel for the kilns, and water transport via the creek and Portsmouth Harbour made Fareham an ideal location for brick production. Early brickworks were small-scale operations, but the industry grew steadily as demand for brick construction increased through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Kilns were established along the edges of the town, particularly in the area south and west of the centre where the clay deposits were most accessible. The quay at the head of the creek provided the means to ship bricks by barge and coastal vessel to building sites around the Solent, in Portsmouth, Southampton, and beyond. Street names in modern Fareham preserve the memory of the industry: Kiln Road and Redlands Lane both reflect the brick-making heritage. The industry shaped the town's economy, its workforce, and its physical landscape for generations.