Goodwick Brickworks

Goodwick Brickworks began as the ‘Fishguard Harbour Brickworks Ltd’ in 1908, just a year after the Great Western Railway arrived. The nearby blue shale and clay was dug by hand. There were two beehive kilns and steam was used to power a grinding mill, pug mill and wire-cut brick maker.

In 1910, the works was bought out and re-organised as the ‘Goodwick Brickworks Ltd’ and another beehive kiln was added. It was re-organised again after a closure during the First World War, The beehive kilns were replaced by a continuous type kiln (which was used until 1969), another grinding machine was added and the wire-cut machine was replaced by a stiff plastic brick shaper. Further technical improvements enabled 75,000 bricks a week to be produced in the late 1920’s, largely to cope with the growth of Milford.

In the late 1930’s, on the advice of a Swiss expert, the final layout was adopted. Hand kiln firing was replaced by mechanical feeders worked by compressed air. The drying floor was replaced by drying chambers – two banks of nine. Blackstone diesel oil engines replaced steam power (these were, in their turn, replaced by electric motors in the early 1950’s), a loading hoist was added, and the rails for transfer cars extended. These improvements enabled the production rate to be further increased to 100,000 bricks a week. At this time 40 men were employed, although some quarry workers were enticed away by higher wages at Trecwn’s Royal Ordnance Factory.

Peak production of 120,000 bricks a week was reached during the Second World War. Cheaper road transport replaced rail at this time. In 1946, the ‘British Anthracite Company Ltd’ took over. Output fell to 100,000 bricks a week in the next few years due to a labour shortage. There was a further decline to 60,000 bricks a week by 1969, the year of closure, when 30 men were employed.

The brickworks was adversely affected by competition from larger firms, the popularity of stone block construction and fluctuations in the national economy. It was demolished in a week and the objects on display were removed just before.