This week, we're celebrating a brilliant milestone. 🎉
Mark Podmore at Blockleys is approaching 25 years with the Michelmersh Group, having joined us on 14th May 2001. Mark began his career in production at No.6/7 Plant before stepping into the role of nightshift kiln attendant, where he took on responsibility for monitoring three tunnel kilns across No.6/7 and No.8 Plant. Following the business restructure in 2010, Mark moved to monitoring No. 8 kiln, a role he continues to this day as a valued member of the nightshift kiln attendant team.
Twenty-five years of quiet dedication, night shifts and genuine expertise. It's exactly the kind of commitment that keeps Blockleys running.
Thank you, Mark, it's a pleasure to have you with us! 🧱
🟢 We’re pleased to share that Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have now been published across our UK brands (Carlton, Blockleys, Freshfield Lane and Michelmersh).
🗒️ This marks an important step in strengthening transparency and accountability across our product portfolio—providing independently verified data to support informed specification and carbon assessment.
More than that, it gives us a clear benchmark. One that helps guide continuous improvement whilst supporting the construction industry’s move towards ongoing transparency.
Link in the comments.
#Sustainability #EPD #Construction #BuiltEnvironment
Last year we took home four awards at the BDA Brick Awards, including the prestigious Architects' Choice Award. Projects featuring our products were recognised across the Refurbishment, Large Housing, Commercial and Specialist Brickwork categories, from Fletcher Priest Architects' Marylebone Place to Hawkins\Brown's transformation of Tileyard North in Wakefield. 🏆
It was a brilliant night, and one that reminded us just how much great work is being done with clay brick out there.
Which brings us to 2026. The BDA Brick Awards are open again, and if you've completed a project using Michelmersh Group products that you're proud of, we'd love to hear about it. Whether it's a sensitive restoration, a bold new housing development or something in between, these awards are a fantastic way to get your work in front of the people who matter.
#mbhbrick #britishmanufacturing #brickindustry #claybrick
Inspired by an Arts & Crafts tradition, our new build house in Sevenoaks uses local clay bricks and roof tiles to ensure the house sits harmoniously within its historic landscape. Reference was made to Lutyens Folly Farm, where we have introduced tumbled buttresses with semi-circular arches. The layout references Baillie Scott’s own Red House.
Architects: @ptarchitects
Landscape: @camlinsla
Interiors: @ptarchitects
Photography: @henrywoide
Happy World Earth Day 🌍
Clay brick isn't just a beautiful building material; it's one of the most sustainable choices you can make. It comes from the ground, it's made to last, and when a building eventually reaches the end of its life, the bricks can often be salvaged and used again.
The Michelmersh Group is proud of the progress we've made in reducing our environmental impact, from modernising our production processes to cutting energy consumption across our sites. But we're also honest that it's an ongoing journey, not a destination 🌿🧱
Crigglestone Red Brick - 📸 Greg Holmes Photography
As the demand for more sustainable construction grows, so does the opportunity to reuse the materials already on-site.
In an episode of our Forming the Future podcast, we spoke to Dave Mills, Director of Business Development at Lyons & Anoot. He shared how circular brick is helping turn demolition sites into valuable resources for clients.
We’ve summed up some of the key takeaways in our latest article:
/blog/2026/04/01/urban-mining-and-recycled-construction-products-a-circular-future-for-bricks/
What does sustainability really look like in homebuilding?
For Mike Leonard, CEO of the Building Alliance, it means building homes and communities that last in every sense of the word.
We’ve rounded up the key takeaways from Mike’s episode of our Forming the Future podcast in this new article, where he talks about the costs of short-term thinking and focusing on resilience as a measure of sustainability.
Link in the comments!
We’re used to seeing ceramics everywhere in the built environment, from clay bricks to floor tiles to sanitaryware. But ceramics are also hidden in plain sight: in manufacturing, medical equipment and computers.
The episode of our Forming the Future podcast with Rob Flello, Chief Executive of Ceramics UK and the Brick Development Association, shone a light on just how vital ceramics are to our lives and our economy. Despite this, the industry is facing steep challenges as it strives to decarbonise while staying competitive: /podcast/
Have you built something with Michelmersh clay bricks? We'd love to hear about it. 🧱
Whether you're an architect, distributor or builder, the projects you bring to life using our products are something we're incredibly proud of. From large commercial developments to sensitive heritage restorations, every project tells a story worth sharing.
We're always looking to celebrate the work of our collaborators and the buildings that our bricks help shape. So if you've got a project you're proud of, get in touch. Share your photos, tell us about the brief, and let's shine a light on what great brickwork looks like in practice.
Drop us a message, tag us in your project photos, or send your details to [email protected] - We'd love to feature your work. 🏗️
Woodward Road (Selected Dark & First Quality Multi) - Morris+Company
The Denton (Synthesis S14) - ColladoCollins
Copper Bottom (Danehill Yellow & Selected Dark) - Adrian James Architects
Abingdon School (Hampshire Stock Downs Blend) - Hopkins Architects
In our next episode of the Forming the Future podcast, we spoke to Andrew Tam, Associate at architecture and design studio Gort Scott
He talked about the relationship between architecture and the environment, and how the smaller details are often where sustainability impact lies in city-scale projects. We also talked about the difficulty of measuring life cycle analysis and what Gort Scott are doing in-house to improve their data collection, listen here: /podcast
April is Stress Awareness Month. 🌿
Construction is a demanding industry, and it's no secret that pressure, deadlines and the physical nature of the work can add up. At Michelmersh, we think it's worth taking a moment to acknowledge that.
Looking out for yourself and your colleagues isn't a sign of weakness; it's just good sense. If something's getting on top of you, talk to someone. And if you notice a colleague who seems like they're struggling, check in.
A strong team looks after itself. Here's to a healthier, more open industry. 💚
#mbhbrick #architecture #stressawarenessmonth #claybrick
For more than 130 years, Carlton has been manufacturing bricks from its Yorkshire base, supplying projects across the UK with materials that are made to last 🏭
The range includes monotone colour blends in rustic, dragwire, smooth and sand faced finishes. These options are regularly specified for commercial, retail and residential schemes where considered brick detailing plays an important role in the overall design.
Carlton blends are particularly well suited to matching 20th century brickwork, making them a reliable choice for conservation, restoration and refurbishment work. Consistency in colour and texture helps new additions sit comfortably alongside existing fabric.
Durable, versatile and competitively priced, the collection supports new housing, commercial projects and individual self-build homes, complementing a wide variety of vernacular styles across the country 🏡
Supported by recognised certifications, the range provides confidence in both performance and compliance ✅
To find out more, click the link in the comments.
#mbhbrick #architecture #britishmanufacturing #designwithbricks #housingdevelopment
