Our team recently visited H.G. Matthews, traditional British brickmakers based in the Chiltern Hills, to deepen our understanding of historic and contemporary brick production and its role in high-quality architecture.

Established in 1923, H.G. Matthews is a family‑run brickworks with over a century of experience producing handmade, machine‑made and woodfired bricks using locally sourced Chiltern clay. Their continued use of traditional techniques, including historic Scotch kilns and a 1920s Berry machine, offers a rare insight into processes that remain vital for heritage-led and context-sensitive design.

Craft, Material and Character

The visit highlighted the extent to which material choice and manufacturing method influence colour, texture and surface variation. Handmade and woodfired bricks, in particular, demonstrate how traditional firing techniques create subtle natural glazes and irregularities that are essential for conservation, restoration and high-quality new buildings in sensitive settings.

H.G. Matthews’ bricks are widely used across prestigious projects in England, supporting both historic repair work and contemporary architecture that responds carefully to its context. Seeing the full process—from clay extraction and moulding to firing and sorting—reinforced the importance of early material consideration in architectural design.

Sustainability and Traditional Practice

Alongside craftsmanship, the visit also explored H.G. Matthews’ environmental approach. Brickmaking is energy‑intensive, and the use of locally sourced wood as a renewable kiln fuel reflects an effort to balance traditional practice with modern sustainability considerations.

Informing Our Work

This visit has strengthened our understanding of traditional brick production and its relevance to both conservation projects and high-quality new architecture. Direct engagement with makers such as H.G. Matthews allows us to specify materials with greater accuracy and confidence, ensuring that our designs respond appropriately to their architectural and historic context.

We are grateful to the team at H.G. Matthews for their generosity and insight and look forward to applying this knowledge across our ongoing and future projects.