Thomas Cubitt established a brick works at Burham around 1850 swiftly followed by an adjacent cement works. In 1859 it was taken over by Webster and Co., an organisation including GeorgeSmeed of Sittingbourne. In the 1870's the Burham bBrick, Lime ang Cement Co. was formed to run the site. By 1888 24 lime kilns producing 950 tons of lime per week and 45 cement kilns making 1000 ton per week. Expannsion was rapid with 1500 tons per week being produced ten years later when two chamber kilns with 48 drying chambers were operating. One set of four washmills and another of five wet grinding mills were also used at this time along with two clinker grinding mills. (1) The works became part of APCM in 1900 and was expanded from 1912 with four rotary kilns planned to give a clinker output of 5000 tons per week. This clinker had to be taken by barge to Crown Works, Frindsbury, for grinding. (2) The site has now been largely levelled and is difficult from map sources to distinguish the cement and brick making elements. What were probably large areas of brick drying sheds were already existing on the north and south sides of the complex by 1868, probably with kilns and processing machines at the centre. Some wash backs existed to the south. The centre area may have included banks of intermittent cement kilns. BY 1897 the works had expanded with a kiln bank on the north side of the former course of the Medway, east of the main complex, also more wash backs had been built at the southern side, possibly with kilns associated. This layout was basically unchanged in the early part of the present century with ever growing claypits immediately east of the works and chalk pits more distant. On closure the central area of the works had been developed and some of the old wash backs already cleared. (3) The site has now been cleared and the only recognisable structures identified are an area of wash backs. The site is heavily overgrown and other ruinous remains including the bases of kilns and grinding plant may survive elsewhere.(4)
The remains (scant) of brick-built kilns can be traced between the Medway and the Southern Water site. Malm backs for the brick works,, both brick and concrete lined, can be found in the scrub to the north of the clay pit, along with fragmentary remains of the brickworks. The position of the drying hacks is marked by large areas devoid of scrub. The line of tramways can also be traced.[2009](5)

<1> AJ Francis, History of the Cement Industry 1796-1914, Page Nos. 187 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6454.

<2> Preston, J. M., 1977, Industrial Medway: An Historical Survey, P.174 (Monograph). SKE6455.

<3> N/A, Ordnance Survey Map. Old Monarch record with attached monuments, OS 1ST, 2ND, 3RD & 4TH ED MAP, 1868, 1897, 1908 & 1933 (Map). SKE6458.

<4> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, KENT SMR (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<5> Jim Preston Personal Communication (Verbal communication). SKE13236.