Two Scots, Mark Cranston and Ian Suddaby, are on a mission to find a museum for their extensive collection of bricks, which they believe to be the largest in the UK, with a total of 6,000 pieces. Over the past 15 years, they have diligently gathered thousands of bricks manufactured in Scotland and other parts of the world. While part of this impressive collection is housed in stables at Mr. Cranston’s garden in the Scottish Borders, the remainder is stored outside Mr. Suddaby’s residence in East Lothian.

The duo has made arrangements to ensure their invaluable collection remains safe should anything happen to either of them. However, they now recognize the need for a more permanent and secure location for their bricks. Ian Suddaby, an archaeologist from New Winton, shared with BBC Scotland News that these bricks represent a significant record of Scotland’s industrial heritage. He emphasized the importance of brick-making in Scotland’s history, noting that the country possesses some of the finest fireclay globally suitable for producing industrial bricks. He believes this aspect should be shared with a broader audience through a museum.

Mr. Suddaby began his brick-collecting journey after observing fellow archaeologists discarding bricks at excavation sites. He expressed his view that bricks are often undervalued by those in archaeology despite their historical significance. Both he and Mr. Cranston possess numerous examples that are unique products from major brickworks that employed many individuals over extended periods.

Among their notable items is a fire brick salvaged from the SS Politician shipwreck in 1941, which carried a vast cargo of malt whisky—this event later inspired the novel and film “Whisky Galore!” They also have a brick sourced from Barlinnie prison’s execution block prior to its demolition in the late 1990s, alongside a Scottish-made brick recovered from an old gold mine in Washington state, USA. Their collection surpasses that of The Brickworks Museum in Swanwick, Hampshire, which features around 3,500 bricks.

Mr. Cranston has meticulously cataloged every Scottish brick they have found or received. He described their collection as unparalleled within Scottish industrial history, highlighting its connection to the industrial revolution and various heating processes that necessitated fire bricks for protection against direct heat sources.

Despite having discovered many types already, Mr. Cranston believes there are still countless others waiting to be found and documented. His passion for collecting has transformed into an obsession over time; he and Mr. Suddaby are committed to preserving these pieces of history for future generations of Scots so that their legacy endures long after they are gone.