AN independent brick manufacturer in Blockley has received national praise after a flagship building project it supplied gained success in the Brick Development Association awards.

Northcot Brick, which was begun in 1926 by Sir Winston Churchill's cousin, Captain E G Spencer-Churchill, supplied approximately 90,000 smooth machine-made bricks to make up the solid elements of the expansive north wing and lower ground floor of the £15million redevelopment of the Whitworth, part of the University of Manchester.

In total, 23 different non-standard brick types and special shapes were produced from architectural drawings and involved creating a bespoke ‘Whitworth blend’ which reflects the original dark red bricks of the Edwardian building.

The building, designed by McInnes Usher McKnight Architects, was named outright winner of the Supreme Award as well as the best public and education building.

The attention to detail, in part aided by painstaking colour-matching by Northcot Brick, was noted by judges.

Originally known as Northwick Brick and Tiles, the company was established in order to provide housing and jobs for the local population.

Initially, Spencer-Churchill hired a team of geologists to survey the land for growing material with which to manufacture baskets, however instead they discovered a vast seam of Lower Jurassic and Middle Lias clay, which was excellent for making bricks and produced an intense orange base colour when fired.

Around 300 were employed and as its reputation grew for manufacturing fine quality bricks with distinctive warm tones and character, they were specified on a number of prestigious projects across the country. One such example is Battersea Power Station, built in the 1930s.

The expanding mass market of the 1970s saw the introduction of traditional wire-cut facing bricks. Then, as trends changed in the 1990s, the company invested in a ‘tumbling machine’ in order to bulk manufacture bricks with a softer, more mature look, replicating the distressed and irregular appearance of genuine reclaim bricks.

Unlike most brick manufacturers, Northcot Brick has deliberately retained its traditional coal-firing techniques and age-old handmade brick making skills, in order to achieve effects that most modernised brickworks cannot reproduce.

At the recent awards ceremony, the BDA Judging panel of the Whitworth: "The level of finesse in the brick detailing coursing jointing and patterning demonstrates a resurgent craft approach to building that is worthy of celebration across the whole construction industry.”

Today Northcot Brick continues to be an independent and thriving business. Still family owned, it employs around 50 people, including a number of father, sons and brothers from the locality.

Michael Brown, managing director said: “At Northcot, we believe in merging the best of old-style ‘character’ bricks and kiln-firing craft with modern technology and a bespoke personal service. In a market which is largely driven by volume and commodity, we aim to be the ‘real ale’ of brick manufacturers."

He said following the awards ceremony: “We are delighted to be associated with such a prestigious project, which is widely recognised as a masterpiece of modern architecture.”