ABSTRACT
Well-selected clay dug out of the ground, weathered and suitably fired in a kiln can last an astonishingly long time, and bricks made of such material are no exception; witness those of Roman origin incorporated in buildings constructed much later but still in sound condition. On the other hand, soft under-burnt bricks made from unsuitable clay much more recently have long since crumbled away. Most familiar to the surveyor are the poor-quality red bricks which seem to have been made in great quantities from the 1880s to the 1920s. They are vulnerable to weathering and their disintegrating faces are a depressing sight in urban and country districts alike.
