A group of eleven members went to The Brickworks Museum at Swanwick. It was hosting a special event dedicated to the world of transport; there was a collection of classic and vintage cars, a bus, two traction engines, live music, craft stalls, and model railways, offering a plethora of captivating sights and sounds.
We spent a couple of hours walking around the site. The weather was good, the sun shone, and we enjoyed a relaxing catch-up in the cafeteria over coffee and cake.
Bursledon Brickworks was founded in 1897 and extended several times. It was a significant brick producer in the region, churning out over 20 million bricks annually by 1935. The site’s closure in 1974 did not diminish its uniqueness. The Brickworks remained untouched because it could not be economically modernised to meet the new safety requirements, thus preserving its historical charm.
The Museum today offers a diverse range of exhibits, telling the story of brickmaking in Britain, from the claypits to the kilns. There is a comprehensive collection of all the original steam equipment and a massive display of all the types of bricks produced over the years.
A good day out for everyone