Last week we looked at some of the early buildings across the country, up to 1927, that were constructed with bricks made by Tuckers of Loughborough. This week, we'll have a look at a few more such buildings.
In 1928 the Skegness Convalescent Home for Derbyshire miners was built in a neo-Georgian style. The 'Sheffield Daily Telegraph' described the home as:
"faced with Loughborough bricks of pleasing colour and roofed with tiles to harmonise, from the same neighbourhood."
and continued:
"The builder’s skill was not hampered by lack of good material, and ‘Tucker’s silver-grey and stock bricks’ were specified. These bricks are individual monuments to craftsmen – they are made entirely by hand by G. Tucker and Son, Ltd., Loughborough."
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| Convalescent home for Derbyshire miners in Skegness |
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| Convalescent home for Derbyshire miners in Skegness, showing rooms to the right with sea views |
Nearer to home, in Derby, three small villas were being constructed on Balfour Road, in 1929. Each house had 7 rooms, as well as a coal-house and outside toilet, and were constructed of Tucker’s multiruf facing bricks and with white spar on the front. Balfour Road is cut in half by Portland Street, but it has been impossible to identify the houses in question, partly because those from the right era which are situated on the street today are generally semi-detached properties. Since the 'Derby Telegraph' explicitly says the houses are: "exceptionally well-built: nothing jerry or shoddy" then one cannot but expect that these houses are still standing!
Continuing with the theme of houses, Tuckers multiruf facing bricks were also used exclusively for the housing development on Nottingham Road in Derby. Apparently, Messrs Browning Bros, builders, used only these facings on their schemes in Leicester, Rugby and Oxford, and by 1931 these developments amounted to over 400 houses.
Meanwhile, over in Staffordshire, Tuckers provided facing bricks for the new Burton-on-Trent Picturedrome, which was built in 1931, and replaced the earlier Picturedrome that was housed in a converted roller skating rink! Butterley provided the 'common' bricks, while reconstructed stone was provided by the Croft Granite, Brick and Concrete Co.. The building was described by the Burton Observer and Chronicle as having an imposing frontage, with "the facade to Curzon Street [being] built in deep red bricks, the tone of which is emphasised by white mortar joints."
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| The upper floors of the Burton Picturedrome |
Still in 1931, but this time moving to the capital, the 'Nottingham Journal' reported that: "a million 'multiruf' facing bricks have been supplied by Messrs. G. Tucker and Sons, the Loughborough brick and tile manufacturers, for Messrs. Gamages new London store." This new store was at Marble Arch was designed by architects C.S. and Ernest Martin Joseph, alongside Edwin Lutyens, the latter's work being evident in much of the external design, including embellishments like the columns. This store was built only a year after the store's founder had died. Today the store is a Primark.
The same bricks, this time half a million of them, were supplied by Tuckers for the building of the John Player factory in Nottingham. Well, one of the John Player buildings: some sources seem to suggest this was the building known as No.2 on the Radford site - which seems the most plausible to me - but pictures that I have seen (since the building has been demolished) seem to confuse buildings No.2 and No.3. I believe the photo at the bottom of this webpage is the building we are interested in. There's a bit about the history of the company, and another picture of our building on an associated page.
Multirufs were also used in the building of numerous blocks flats, and in London for Warwick Mansions, the Queen's Club in Kensington, and the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, the latter built in 1925 to the design of Ernest Martin Joseph who had been a founder member of the Synagogue in 1911.
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| Warwick Mansions, Cromwell Crescent, London |
By 1933, Tuckers multiruf facing bricks were increasing in popularity, partly because they could be produced in large quantities quickly. As such they were used in the construction of the Civic Offices in Nuneaton, for churches, public buildings and offices. However, not only were the facing bricks proving popular ...
The 'Chelsmford Chronicle' in 1932 reported upon the tudor style, half-timbered Army and Navy Hotel, the architect of which was Thorold Bennett of Gravesend, as follows:
"Loughborough tiles were selected for the roof coverings, and they were supplied by Messrs. G. Tucker and Son, Ltd., of Loughborough, who are also specialists in high-class facing bricks, which are produced in a large range of colours. This old-established firm supply tiles to almost every part of the British Isles as well as for export to the continent and elsewhere, and have a great reputation as manufacturers of hand-made, sand-faced tiles."
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| A multiruf brick, photographed in situ - it really was upside down! |
Well, where are we going to find ourselves next time, when we look at more use of Tuckers bricks?!
Posted by lynneaboutloughborough 28 March 2021
You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:
Lynne
I have a specially produced snowdrop earthenware produced by Tuckers do you want me to send a photo of it?
ReplyDeleteHello Unknown! Wow! That sounds most interesting!! I've seen plenty of bricks made by the company, but not sure what else I'm inadvertently come across, so it would be lovely to see a picture of your snowdrop earthenware. I'm no sure if one can add photos to the comments box? If not, you could email me lynneaboutloughboroughatgmaildotcom making the usual substitutions. Thank you so much for reading the blog and taking the time and trouble to comment. Lynne
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