The brickworks at Cleavelands Farm, which was known as 'Dobson's Brickfield', was situated approximately north east of Cleavelands Farm. They were in operation from the late 1870s to about 1900. Operated by George Dobson the brickworks produced red bricks and chimney pots. The bricks were used by George Dobson to build the school at Old Heath in 1894.
In the mid 1890s George Dobson also owned another brickworks at West Bergholt. He was a builder and contractor with a builders yard and office in Butt Road, Colchester. The building and contractors business which latterly traded as 'George Dobson and Son' continued at Butt Road after the brickworks at Old Heath closed. By about 1900 the brick works had at least two up-draught kilns. The principal employees here were members of the Crick family. Zachariah Crick who was born in Tendring in 1831 was employed as a brick yard labourer at Kirby le Soken before moving to Old Heath where five of his sons were also employed in the brick works with four as labourers. <1>

Site Assessment:
The site comprises of a hollow in the landscape where clay was excavated, a couple of ponds and the partial remains of a landing stage by the River Colne where bricks were loaded onto barges. Potentially intact and important below ground remains may survive which merit investigation. <1>