Red List Comment Submission

Commenting on: Gauged brickwork

Section one - About you

Section two - Description of the craft

If you are commenting on an existing craft, please select it here and skip the next two questions

Please enter the name of the craft you would like us to add here.

If this is a new craft type please select the most suitable category

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify an era/century/approximate historic period.

Heritage Crafts uses a system of four categories of risk to assess the viability of heritage crafts. A heritage craft is considered to be viable if there are sufficient craftspeople to transmit the craft skills to the next generation. For more information on definitions see http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/

Section three - Current numbers of those practising the craft in the UK

People earning their main craft income from this craft (selling, commissions, conservation/ restoration and/or teaching).

People practicing this craft commercially (selling, commissions, conservation/restoration and/or teaching) but as less than half of their income.

People acquiring skills in order to become a professional in this craft, they probably have to work under supervision even if they are earning money while training.

People whose knowledge and ability is at a level of the most skilled practitioners of this craft.

People who do not intend to practice this craft professionally or at the highest level.

Section four - Issues affecting the viability of the craft

Existing content:
  • Training and recruitment: The teaching the bricklayers receive doesn’t effectively address both the traditional and modern aspects of the craft. Ideally trainees would learn both heritage and modern skills in tandem throughout their training period. Those emerging out of NVQ Levels I, II and III Brickwork over the past 30 years are primarily trained in new build construction and the vast majority do not possess the required level of craft knowledge and high-level skills necessary to work on historic properties with empathy, competence and confidence. There is a pressing need for a well thought-out and carefully designed craft apprenticeship programme teaching the traditional aspects of the craft through education and training – covering its history, materials, related technology, calculations, building science, technical drawing, and geometry – alongside the elementary, advanced, and enhanced levels of practical skills required for applying them for quality conservation and restoration.
  • Skills issues: The highest level skills are becoming harder to source and there is a lack of industry investment in higher level brickwork skills.
  • Skills issues: Heritage work is often carried out by sub-contractors, rather than the contracted company. This can mean that these companies are not investing in training for specialist skills.
  • Supply of raw materials: There are issues with sourcing products such as aggregates, sand, local quarried materials etc. There can also be issues around local pollution from lime burning, brick burning etc.
  • Health and safety requirements: these can be barriers to carrying out work efficiently
  • Small business issues: Firms cannot access sufficient financial support to fund the training of apprentices and up-skilling mature artisans.
  • Supply of raw materials: Raw materials, particularly handmade bricks, can be expensive due to the additional costs of specific clay preparation, making by hand drying and firing.
  • Ageing workforce: The majority of the skilled brickmasons with years of meaningful experience are now mostly in their 50s or 60s.
  • Legislative issues: Health and Safety is an unavoidable but significant cost.  Conservation work generally falls within the construction industry and therefore carries responsibilities under current health and safety legislation; these are outlined principally under the CDM (Construction Design Management) Regulations.

e.g. lack of qualifications, funding for training etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. lack of demand for products/skills etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

Tick the box if there are difficulties with the supply of raw materials, allied materials or tools

If yes, please describe the issues below

i.e. issues around running any small business, not just crafts

If yes, please describe the issues below

Is the main workforce made up of people who are approaching retirement age?

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. legal restrictions on materials, health and safety etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. Brexit, Covid-19, conflict

If yes, please describe the issues below

Please describe any other issues

Section five - Current Initiatives to preserve craft skills

Please describe any UK projects or schemes

Section six - Main players in the craft – please tell us who you know about

Please list any known practitioners of this craft — add a row item for each person or business and complete the fields to the best of your knowledge. To get started click the `Add practitioner` button below.

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Add practitioner

Section seven - Optional additional information

It may include when and where the craft developed, how it has changed over time, etc.

e.g. festivals, religious celebrations, agricultural practices, music, dance etc.

e.g. religious, ethnic, social class. Please give an overview of the techniques involved in the craft.

This may involve different materials, techniques, styles or finished products.

e.g. books, websites etc.