O.S. 25", 3rd ed. 1908 shows site of brickworks. O.S. 1st ed (1865) shows earlier brickfields.
Eastwood and Co Ltd with their brickfields at Lower Halstow prospered in the early 1900s when the brick industry was already declining. Their machine made red bricks were superior to the hand-made brick. Relatively little imformation exists on the operation of individual brickfields before 1850 when considerable expansion was taking place in the industry. However brickmakers at Lower Halstow are listed by Bagshaw (a) in 1847 and the population reached a peak of 721 in 1881 as shown in the table of population between 1801 and 1821. The Lower Halstow works were identified in 1906 when three German brick making machines and a patent drier by Muller and Pliffer were installed. By 1912 there were 60 wash backs with 22 brick berths employing 120 men and boys giving production of 17-18 millon bricks per annum. Eastwoods closed their Ten Acres Field Works, Breach Lane, Lower Halstow in 1914 (b). (1-2) [TQ85776756] Lower Halstow Brick Works, [NAT]. (3) Pioneer electric narrow gague railway supplying Lower Halstow Brickworks replaced horse drawn system in 1902 with locomotives by Hirst of Dewsbury. Line ram from brick pit to works and wharf. Closed in 1920s (4). Additional references (5,6), site indicated on early chart (7) and photograph (8)

<1> History Gaz & Directory of the County of Kent 1847 (S Bagshaw) (OS Card Reference). SKE44087.

<2> Brick & Brickies 1972 25 29 (FG Willmott) (OS Card Reference). SKE38285.

<3> Industrial Medway a historical survey 1977 50 52 66 92 178-9 (JM Preston) (OS Card Reference). SKE44298.

<4> VCH Kent 3 1932 364 395 (EM Hewitt) (OS Card Reference). SKE51124.

<5> OS 6" 1970 (OS Card Reference). SKE48377.

<6> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Industrial Railways of the SE (Amberley Chalk Pits Museum 1984) (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<7> N/A, Kent SMR Quarry Industries Survey, KCC 121 (Chart). SKE6452.

<8> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9609.