Stewartby historic brickworks chimneys to be demolished

The last of 167 chimneys are due to be knocked down on Sunday, 26 September

The four remaining chimneys on an industrial site where 167 once stood are to be demolished.

The chimneys at the former Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick brickworks, near Bedford, will come down on Sunday to make way for 1,000 new homes and a business park.

Tim Hill, Liberal Democrat member of Bedford Borough Council, said it would be a "very sad day".

Developer Cloud Wing will build a replica chimney on the site.

The council approved the demolition in 2018.

Site owner Hanson said the chimneys were a "risk to public safety" but Historic England said there was no reason they should be completely demolished.

A replacement chimney will have "Stewartby" written down it

The history of Stewartby

• Brickmaking in the area began when John Cathles Hill, a housebuilder, bought up various small local companies, which became the London Brick Company (LBC) in 1900

• In 1926 the LBC began to build a garden village for its employees at Wooton Pillinge

• The Wootton Pillinge LBC village was renamed Stewartby in 1936, after the Stewart family, directors of the LBC

• In the same year Stewartby was recognised as the largest brickworks in the world, employing 2,000 people and producing 500 million bricks a year

• The site closed in 2008 with one reason given that it could not achieve emission standards

• Four of the original chimneys remain on the site, standing up to 70m (230ft) tall

The site owner said the chimneys were a "risk to public safety"

Mr Hill, who represents Elstow and Stewartby ward, said: "This will be a momentous, but also a very sad, day in the history of Stewartby, Bedford borough and the wider Marston Vale.

"I am totally gutted it is happening and have refused the invitation to press one of the demolition buttons.

"In an ideal world, such history wouldn't be demolished."

'Daily routine'

John from Bedford, who used to work at the brickworks, said his father moved from Italy to work there.

He then took a job at the brickworks himself after he left school and learnt bricklaying, a profession he is still in.

John, who did not give his surname, said: "I feel a bit sad really because for quite a few years they were just part of the daily routine."

He said he would not watch the demolition because "it'll be sad, that was part of my life when I was younger".

The structures are due to be knocked down at about 11:15 BST.

Historic England said there was no reason they should be completely demolished.