YORK HANDMADE BUILDS STRONG
FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
The York Handmade Brick Company, one of the leading independent brickmakers in
the country, has celebrated a tremendous 2015 – and is now looking forward to an
equally successful year this year.
York Handmade, based in the beautiful
Vale of York in North Yorkshire, recorded
a 11 per cent increase in turnover last
year and won a major prize in the
prestigious 2015 Brick Awards.
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David Armitage, chairman of York
Handmade, commented: “2015 was one
of our most successful years since our
foundation in 1988. We had a turnover
of £2.5 million, an increase of 11 per
cent on the previous year, and we now
employ 30 staff. That is our highest level
of staffing since pre-recession days.
“This success has been built on a number
of flagship, high-quality jobs across
the country. These include Highgate
School in north London, a new control
and office room at Turweston Flight
Centre in Northamptonshire and the
redevelopment of London Bridge Station
in the shadow of the iconic Shard (which
also boasts our bricks).
“We also played a pivotal role in the
construction of four new luxury homes
just outside Cambridge. In addition we
are also involved in the development of
the new Halifax Central Library, which
includes restoration of part of the church
adjacent to Piece Hall in the town, and
the regeneration of the famous Westgate
Shopping Centre in Oxford.
“It is no coincidence that many of our
most high-profile projects are being
done with Maxima our popular and
distinctive linear brick, which is gaining
an increasing amount of interest as it
represents the new style of brickwork. It
is an exciting breakthrough aesthetically
for the brick industry,” said Mr Armitage.
Meanwhile t he company’s work at
Dumfries House in Scotland won the
Best Outdoor Space category in the
2015 Brick Awards for its “magnificent
achievement” in restoring the
Belvedere and Queen Elizabeth Walled
Garden at Dumfries House in Scotland,
a pioneering restoration project
masterminded by Prince Charles.
In addition the Belvedere was shortlisted
in the Craftsmanship and Best
Refurbishment Project categories, while
York Handmade was also nominated for
its work on Carmelite House on London’s
Victoria Embankment.
The Brick Awards’ judges commented:
“This project could be considered a
winner over several categories. It is
absolutely stunning, a magnificent
achievement. The five-acre walled
garden was derelict and within a
twelve-month period the garden has
been transformed into one of the
most interesting walled gardens in this
country.”
York Handmade has a tremendous track
record in the Brick Awards, winning
a hat-trick of categories in 2012. The
buildings which won the awards were:
Four Oaks in Little Bedwyn, Wilts (Best
Single House); Tupgill Cellar, near
Middleham, North Yorkshire (Best
Craftsmanship); and Chetham’s School of
Music, Manchester (Specialist Brickwork
Contractor).
For further information, please contact
David Armitage of the York Handmade
Brick Company on 01347 838881 or
[email protected] or
visit www.yorkhandmade.co.uk