A handmade brick maker has played a significant role in helping to create a residential development in a North Yorkshire town.
York Handmade Brick Company, based in Easingwold, supplied specially-manufactured bricks for a contemporary development on Northallerton’s bustling High Street, designed to fit in with the traditional appearance of the area.
The company provided more than 14,000 matching bricks for the three terraced-house project, developed by North Yorkshire builder John Swales.
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Mr Swales, who is managing director of J W Swales Building Contractors of Northallerton, demolished the existing house, which was structurally unsound.
He said: “The building belonged to my accountant A C Savage & Co and, when he retired, an opportunity arose to buy it.
“My wife Sarah and I thought that we might be able to work with the old structure, but once we had stripped the ceilings and plasterwork, it became apparent that it had reached the end of its life and certain aspects just weren’t safe.
“Our Northallerton-based architect Andrew Bramley came up with the idea of building three, two-bedroom terraced houses on the site and that is exactly what we have done. All three were sold for £180,000 and are now occupied.
“We wanted to use the best of all products available locally, with the York Handmade bricks made in Alne, windows in Stokesley and the handmade clay pan tiles made in Hull.
“York Handmade bricks and their traditional appearance have helped the new dwellings bed in to the surroundings so well that most people that aren’t familiar with them don’t realise that they have just been built.”
Alun Nixon of York Handmade Brick said: “It has been a privilege to play a part in creating an attractive development, which provides much-needed local housing and enhances the appearance of Northallerton’s historic High Street.
“While we have recently completed some stunning commissions for residential and commercial developments in London and other UK cities, it is vitally important that we continue to provide our bricks to more local developers and for self-builders. It is a real pleasure to see our work being represented locally.”
David Armitage, chairman of York Handmade, added: “Our flourishing relationship with John Swales and other Yorkshire-based residential developers is very important to us. It is tremendously gratifying to see our bricks being used so close to home.”
