8 - Aldershot Brick and Tile Works
by Mr. & Mrs. Masters

The Brick and tile Works was established and owned by Mr. George Kemp, subsequently ownership passed to Keith Kemp and a Mr. Gould who continued in business up to the mid-1920s[1]. Thereafter, some of the buildings - possibly the whole site - became a concrete works manufacturing mainly concrete pipes[2]. This concrete production continued into the 1950s and was run - possibly owned - by Mr. Loveless[3]. It is believed that part of the site remained vacant, and the buildings unused, for a very long period, probably from the mid-1920s until the 1940s or even 1950s.

When the Aldershot Brick and tile Works was flourishing, the works office was located in the builders yard at 2-4 Elms Road, now Kemp Stroud Builders[4], this was the case, it is believed, up to 1914. The red facing bricks produced by George Kemp were known in the trade as "Georgie Kemp's Reds", he also produced bricks known as "wire-cut commons" which it is believed, he used for his own house, "The Croft" in Church Lane East and Mr. Stroud's house, "Alverstoke" in Cranmore Gardens. A vast number of both types of Kemps bricks were used in numerous buildings in the Cargate area.

There were three generations of the male Kemps, all of whom were involved with building construction and allied operations. It is believed that one or other of them built the following :-

• The Post Office,
• The Grange,
• St. Michael's Church Hall,
• The Wesleyan Church,
• Hippodrome,
• and the Y.M.C.A.

Cont....

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1. Brick making continued to at least 1927 and possibly to 1936 as we have subsequently found a photograph of the workers in 1927, and an aerial photograph of the works from 1936.    (top)
2. At some time the site was also used for Fruit and Vegetable storage, it is not known if the concrete works and Fruit/veg storage were on the site at the same time. We have been given the names of Waddingtons, Waddleton & Company and Ffyfes as possible companies involved.    (top)
3. Caywoods Concrete Products ? - fence posts Etc.
   "The Story of Aldershot by H.N. Cole" page 294, lists the owner as "Carwood, Wharton & Co. Ltd., manufacturers of Porex Pipes"    (top)
4. It is believed that Kemp Stroud ceased trading around 1999 having been acquired by Leonard Field of Southampton."    (top)