A new £6 million residential and commercial mix development in the heart of the West End. Completed in January 2010, the Squire and Partner designed scheme replaces several houses built on the typically narrow Soho plot.

The scheme uses a series of brick party walls to suggest a similar series of narrow plots but here ordered to create a new rhythm.  A solid brick end wall, punctuated simply by horizontal slot windows, reinforces the building’s terraced-street character.

A successful mix of substrates, the Cotswold Buff handmade bricks sit comfortably with glazed bricks inspired by the victorian glazed tiles used on many tube stations and public houses, both softened by the warmth of the wooden shutters. The blend of materials combine to create a striking addition to the existing Soho market streets.

For further information on this project please visit;

Squire and Partners

Just Facades

Work continues at Stratford’s RSC theatre with the latest additions to the multi million transformation arriving on specialist haulage with the assistance of three individual County Highways Authorities.

The two massive Precast panels produced by Thorpe Precast, each weighing 17 tonnes were finally craned into position on North & South face of the viewing towers ‘lantern’ on the 30th September 2009.

Each concrete panel is faced with Coleford Handmade bricks, replicating the bespoke blend used to create the tower. Indeed, the precast panels now appear ‘as one’ with the existing brickwork on site with new and old construction techniques blending seamlessly together.  The panels were completely factory finished with all pointing and coping parapet details in place prior to installation.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre transformation reached an important milestone this week when the 20 tonne viewing platform was lowered into position using a 300 tonne crane. Click below to visit the RSC main site and view a short film showing the historic event. 

View film

Coleford has begun the huge task of delivering bespoke handmade bricks and specials for the grade II listed Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford upon Avon.

English Heritage have praised the architects Bennetts Associates for creating a modern design without ruining the existing historic features. Originally designed by Elisabeth Scott and opened in 1932 the new £100 million development is due to re-open in summer 2010. Further information regarding the progress of the project can be found at the RSC site.

Architects impression of the finished theatre viewed from the park.

The Stratford Blend

The 160,000 and 10,000 specials required will be produced in a Bespoke Blend now fittingly titled the ‘Stratford Blend.’ The blend includes; Saxon Multi, Flashed Wessex, Ironstone & Smooth Forest Royal.

 While the main site is already attracting a large amount of publicity, Coleford Brick & Tile, as the primary brick supplier, have recently been visited by the BBC to film short news reports on the manufacture of the bricks. See BBC report.

A cut-away rendering of the new Theatre showing the auditorium and tower.

61million redevelopment to lift the already inspiring Ashmolean Museum to a world-class building.

Designed by world renowned architect Rick Mather the new building will totally replace all but the original 1845 grade II listed Cockerell building. The new development will provide a further 39 galleries doubling the display space of the former buildings. Also included in the design is a dedicated Education Centre and Conservation facilities.

The transformation is well underway and currently on target for it’s prestigious re-opening in Nov 2009.

Architects detail rendering showing the new gallery space and the location of the new building in relation to the existing Cockerell building.

Aerial View of the Ashmolean showing an artist's impression of the new building

The building will use the Coleford Cotswold Buff brick in a bespoke 240 x 110 x 40mm size.

For further information on the design and progress of the project please visit the Ashmolean Museum site.

To strengthen Coleford’s commitment to environmental management and to enure our compliance with ever changing environmental legislation we are entering into the first steps of joining the Green Dragon Scheme.

Green Dragon Scheme

Green Dragon is a manageable way of achieving a recognised UKAS Accredited and Independently inspected Environmental Management System (EMS).

The scheme incorporates the following key principles of Environmental Management:

    .  Continual Environmental Improvement

    .  Compliance with Environmental Legislation

    .  Pollution Prevention

    .  Communication of Environmental Issues

Coleford Brick & Tile fully understand the need for a recognised environmental policy which will reinforce existing relationships with both customers and suppliers.

Vist the Green Dragon site.

If you needed another reason to choose brick as your primary building material – here’s three.

A+ Green Guide rating.



The BRE’s latest Green Guide to specification assigned the highest possible accreditation A+ to every external wall it rated that contained brickwork. The scoring runs from A+, the best (or having the least environmental impact), down to E, the worst (or having the greatest environmental impact).

Brick Development Association ad campaign promoting the highest possible accreditaion rating obtained by brickwork.

500+ year lifespan.

Research undertaken by Adrian Bown from Leeds Metropolitan University of 860 homes found that brick structures can have a lifespan of 500 years or more. The recent survey found that “…under the right circumstances clay bricks have the potential to remain serviceable up to 650 years. This is approximately the time at which clay brickwork was first introduced to the UK from the continent.”

In sharp contrast, some of the lightweight panelised homes now being constructed have a design life of 50 years or less. “There is evidence all around us that brick only gets better and better with age. Maintenance is minimal – repointing may be necessary after 68 years for cavity walls and 113 years for solid walls. In contrast to other materials, brick will not rot, rust, erode or decay. Wind and rain and snow will not damage it, weather merely mellows it.”.

Brick Development Association ad campaign promoting the envious lifespan provided by brickwork

Brickwork costs less.

An investigation by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found that, against a line-up of popular finishes for the external skin, installed brickwork beat just about all of them on price. There is a popular misconception, fuelled by the off-site lobby that brickwork is an expensive external finish, but the RICS study clearly concludes that brick is a competitive option for the external skin. Brick has long been a favourite amongst architects, developers and the public. It’s warm and humanising character brings buildings to life. An external brick wall adds scale, colour and texture blending so easily and naturally with its surroundings.

For more information on each of the above points:

BDA (Brick Development Association).

Brick Development Association ad campaign dispelling the myths of expensive brickwork construction costs.

A new court at Clare College Cambridge by Van Heyningen and Haward Architects has won an RIBA Award.

The new 6.3 million courtyard completed in early 2009 has fought off stiff competition to win the prestigious award. A combination of Coleford Grey handmade bricks (70% Vauxhall Grey and 30% Gloucester Grey blend), and Cedar timber cladding, combine to give the finished buildings a clean uncluttered appearance.

Click to read Related Articles

Business as usual at the NEC, another busy five days for our third visit to the Interbuild show.

The stand keeps growing, the only issue - bigger stand - more brick samples to carry!

Coleford’s third visit to the interbuild show at the NEC took place over the 26th to 30th Oct 2008. Over 32,000 visitors packed the NEC over the 5 days easing fears that the current reduction in construction activity would affect attendance,

“..another great show with a healthy number of new contacts made.”

‘”Although attendance was down on last year we were still kept on our toes.” “..the number of visitors to the stand was similar to last year and not a case of extremes as some expected..”
H. Gilson (Sales Director).

Visit interbuild 2009 site.

As the previous year the stand was split between Coleford Brick & Tile and sister company Gryphonn Concrete Products.

A new Studio Annexe development in the North Oxford Conservation area has been awarded an Oxford Preservation Trust Plaque for its outstanding contribution to Oxfords built environment.

The Annexe was built to provide a garage and additional living space to the main accommodation. Using the Arts & Crafts design of the main house for inspiration the Stunning annexe was designed by Oxford based practice Adrian James Architects.

The fine texture of the Coleford Handmade Wessex Mixture have been used to add mellowness and maturity to the new build removing the “just unwrapped’ feeling some new builds can project.

The purpose built annexe designed with dual functionality, garage and additional living space