Brickworks, comprising of one central, and several smaller building complexes; areas of quarrying; and a tramway running parallel to the stretch of railway along which the site is situated. The site appears as 'Clay Mills' and 'Brick Field' on the OS 1st Ed. 6" series, and subsequent OS maps of 1925, 1963 and 1968 and depicts a small building complex and areas of quarrying. RAF and other vertical photographs depict a good history of the site in this century, showing previously wooded areas being quarried successively.
A brickworks has been in production here since 1863. At different times a variety of products have been manufactured. In the Victorian period red and white bricks, tiles, drainage pipes and pottery were made including all kinds of splayed and beaded red and white bricks, ridge tiles, plain tiles, garden tiles and pottery ware. In the 1890's they produced stock bricks, moulded bricks and machine made stead pressed bricks for internal work. In the Edwardian era flower pots were a speciality and red hoggin was supplied for garden paths. Land drainage pipes were made in large quantities until after the second World War. One of the latest bricks made in the 1990s is called 'Colchester Red Handmade'. <5>
The site of the present brickworks extends to about 70 acres of which 40 acres are used for brickmaking purposes including about 15 acres of clay pits. Up until 1975 it is estimated that Colliers have produced over 500 million bricks including 3 million a year in the mid 1970s. <5>
The kilns have included two red brick up-draught, one bottle, one beehive (down-draught), one Habla kiln, a Hoffman and the present gas-fired tunnel kiln used since the 1950s. The bottle kiln (still standing but disused in 1989) was brick built with iron stripwork to the base - the last surviving example in Essex. <5>

Site Assessment: The brickworks is still in operation and excavating clay on site. The present buildings are still used for making bricks, drying, firing and storage. It is one of the few surviving brickworks in Essex with perhaps historic structures. <5>

Cross reference with site 11837.