Forterra buy up 200 acres at Whittlesey to expand clay extractions to meet demand for nearby brickworks

Building materials manufacturer Forterra of Kings Dyke, Whittlesey, has bought 200 acres of land for a significant expansion of clay extractions close to their brickworks,

Forterram, Whiittlesey, showing the land at Must Farm Quarry recently purchased by the company for clay extraction. Picture; FORTERRA. - Credit: Archant

The mineral-bearing land has been acquired by Forterra and forms part of Must Farm Quarry in Whittlesey, which supplies the company's nearby brickworks.

The clay is used to manufacture the historic London Brick, which has been made in the local area for over 140 years. Today, London Brick is produced solely by Forterra at its Kings Dyke works and is used almost exclusively for residential renovation, maintenance and improvement.

The raw material that is sourced from beneath Must Farm Quarry is Lower Oxford Clay, which dates back to the Jurassic period and forms part of a geological deposit that stretches from Yorkshire to Dorset.

Stephen Harrison, chief executive of Forterra, said: "This substantial acquisition of clay-bearing land in the vicinity of our Kings Dyke brickworks will provide long-term reserves for the ongoing production of our London Bricks.

"In securing this purchase, we are safeguarding supply to this facility - and, crucially, to our range of customers nationwide - for decades to come. Our investment here will enable us to continue preserving and developing Britain's homes well into the 21st century."

He said the clay possesses a "unique self-burning quality that makes it an especially efficient material, ideal for brickmaking, which has given the Whittlesey region its rich brick making heritage".