Forterra secure quarry land extension

Company completes land purchase with planning permission for clay extraction at Must Farm Quarry

BUILDING materials manufacturers Forterra, whose local Kings Dyke brickworks celebrated its 50th anniversary last month, have completed a significant land purchase with associated planning permission for clay extraction close to the brickworks in Whittlesey, Peterborough.

The mineral-bearing land, which covers almost 200 acres, was recently acquired by Forterra and forms part of Must Farm Quarry, near Whittlesey, which provides a continuous supply of clay to the company’s nearby brickworks.

The clay is used to manufacture the historic London Brick, which has been made in the local area for more than 140 years. Today, London Bricks are produced solely by Forterra at their Kings Dyke works and are used almost exclusively for residential renovation, maintenance and improvement.

The raw material that is sourced from beneath Must Farm Quarry is Lower Oxford Clay, which dates back to the Jurassic period and forms part of a geological deposit that stretches from Yorkshire to Dorset.

The clay possesses a unique self-burning quality that makes it an especially efficient material, ideal for brickmaking, which has given the Whittlesey region its rich brickmaking heritage.

Stephen Harrison, chief executive of Forterra, said: ‘This substantial acquisition of clay-bearing land in the vicinity of our Kings Dyke brickworks will provide long-term reserves for the ongoing production of our London Bricks.

‘In securing this purchase, we are safeguarding supply to this facility – and, crucially, to our range of customers nationwide – for decades to come. Our investment here will enable us to continue preserving and developing Britain’s homes well into the 21st century.’