The history of Brickfields Country Park, page 10

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In the Gazetteer of brickworks[1] there is listed (p11) a site in Grosvenor Road – "Brickworks, near Halimot Road and off Bank Street" (Bank Street is now Grosvenor Road, Halimot is Halimote[2]). Shown on an 1873 map as an extensive Brick and Tile Works with kiln and engine house. In an 1871 directory James Clark and Fred Eggar were listed as brick makers of Bank Street. By 1878 Fred Eggar was still listed but the site is now Grosvenor Road and Harry Stonard[3] was also shown as the owner. Later in 1880 Broadbent & Elsley were given as brick makers of Grosvenor Road. In 1912 following closure the brickworks site was occupied by the Aldershot & District Traction Company. (©1980 A. Wright, with permission)

Subsequent researches at the Hampshire Records Office have turned up a map of the "Aldershot Brick and Tile Works" from June 1882 (Ref 23M74/BP396), with the owner listed as a James Clark[4]. We have seen the map, which are actually site plans for a row of houses in what is now Cavendish Mews off Grosvenor Road [Bank Street]. These houses border a site (on the map) marked "The Aldershot Brick and Tile Works", elsewhere known as "Clark's Ground"[5], confirmed by the name of the listed owner (paragraph above).

Now this could leave us with a slight problem – two Aldershot Brick and Tile Works in Aldershot at the same time! and whilst this could be a possibility as members of the Kemp family were at some time involved with both sites, it has for the moment not been resolved. For the time being the online description for this map at the Hampshire Records Office has been amended to include a reference to Grosvenor Road as the map clearly detailed.

The Brick and Tile works site that this map refers to eventually became, on the eastern side of Grosvenor Road the garage / workshop sites for the Aldershot Traction Company, and latterly on the western side, a car repair workshop for the "Vicks Group" a well known local car dealership. Various reports over the years suggested a tunnel[6] under Grosvenor Road between the two sites, which has recently been confirmed with the photo (right) of the tunnel taken in 1995 by Leslie Smith. Both sites have now become housing estates in the intervening years.

From the Bygone Aldershot website[7] – "Formed around 1906 as the "Aldershot and Farnborough Motor Omnibus Co.", by 1908 a site was purchased in Halimote Road and a garage was constructed to hold four vehicles. This site remained the company headquarters and offices for many years but by 1912 the company required more funding to expand and they were reformed into the "Aldershot & District Traction Company" on 24th July 1912 after being purchased by British Automobile Traction Co. Ltd. and the New Central Omnibus Co. Ltd.

Cont....

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A Gazetteer of Brick and Tile Manufacturing sites in North East Hampshire, compiled by A. Wright 1980.
"The brickworks were positioned on the opposite side of the road to the clay pit and a tunnel underneath the road was used to transfer the clay." As of 2003 a new updated version of the Gazetteer is available from the North East Hampshire Historical & Archaeological Society, The Treasurer, 1 Longmead, Fleet, Hampshire GU52 7TR. Cost £5.00 + £1.50 postage. Cheques should be payable to "North East Hants Historical & Archaeological Society". [top]
Halimot, Halimote, Halmot, Halmote, Healgemote (from Saxon Heal–gemot)
A court Baron, signifies the meetings of the tenants of one Hall or Manor. In old English law, a meeting if citizens in their public hall; otherwise called a folemot. The court of a Lord of the Manor or of a guild. The court of a company or an association of traders. In London every company had a hall wherein they kept their courts - Court of Halimote. [top]
From the records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, www.lds.org
The 1881 census shows a Henry Stonard born in 1819, Tilemaker, living at 1/2 Halemote [Halimote] Rd, Aldershot, married to Agnes Stonard (nee Nicholls) who was born in 1825 at Aldershot. [top]
- They appear to have had four children -
- James, born 3rd May 1844 at Aldershot, Age 37, Brickmaker, widowed.
- Henry, born 1862 Aldershot, Age 19, Brick Burner, unmarried.
- Agnes, born 1866 Aldershot, Age 15.
- Harry, born 1870 Aldershot, Age 11 the Harry Stonard listed above?
- There are two other listings that could also be their offspring but unlikely
- Mary A, born 1855 Aldershot, Age 26 Parlourmaid, unmarried, dwelling Park Hill (Froxfield) as servant to Laura C. LAURENCE
- George, born 1850 Aldershot, Age 31, Brick Burner, Married, Dwelling Barkham Road Wokingham, Berkshire.
Hampshire Records Office, Ref 50M63/B8/18–19 Dec 1878 Lease on parcel of ground now used as a brick field in Grosvenor Road, Aldershot. "For 7 years, i) James Clark of Atlingworth Street, Brighton, Sussex, brickmaker, ii) Jonathan Broadbent of Aldershot, grocer". [back] [top]
- People listed as living at Clark's Ground as shown in the 1871 census -
- James May.
- James Dutton.
- Hannah Oliver.
- Thomas and Mary Harrington.
- John and Mary Payne.
- Thomas Goldsmith, brick-maker and Hannah Goldsmith.
- Thomas Dumbrell.
Hampshire Records Office, Ref 23M74/BP396 – June 1882, Block plan of the Aldershot Brick and Tile Works, Grosvenor Road, Aldershot, owner James Clark. [back] [top]
From – www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol03/page199.html -
"Farmhouse, Boxalls Farm. Stone and brick structure. Extensively restored. Original structure possibly C.18, on site of earlier building. Farmland was rented by Waverley Abbey until its dissolution 1536. Ref: The Story of Aldershot, (Cole), p.294. SU 866 494, Card 0102 08".
Unfortunately Hampshire C.C. has taken down the "Hampshire Treasures" section of its website, so all the contents of this useful on–line resource about Hampshire's past has been lost. [back] [top]
Bygone Aldershot, unfortunately the website – www.bygonealdershot.org/aldershot_and_district.htm – is no longer available. [back] [top]