Porthwen brick works was situated in a secluded spot on the western shore of Porthwen bay about 2 miles West of Amlwch. Very few written records remain about the works or it’s activities.
It is thought that the making of bricks started in the early part of the 19 th century. The type of brick produced was based on the local yellow clay rather than the usual red house brick. They were capable of withstanding a higher temperature that normal bricks and may have been used for the lining of kilns and furnaces.
In 1906 a German by the name of Steibel took over the running of the works and tried to make it a profitable concern. The bricks were cut into shape with a sharp wire before they were baked. To assist in the baking two experts were employed from Ruabaon and the quality of the bricks made at this time was extremely high.
In 1908 the works were again taken over by a Mr Charles Tidy. He introduced a new method for brick making in which the clay was pressed into shape rather than cut with wires. The result was that the bricks were left with a hollow frog.
The scope of products produced at the work was also increased with the introduction of glazed bricks and tiles. These were produced by a young Japanese Glazer called Cozo Nakamura. He was an accomplished craftsman as can be seen by the examples of some of his tiles below.
Examples of tiles produced at the Tidy brick and Tile company, Amlwch around 1906.
Despite the good quality brick and tiles transport was always a major problem for the works. All raw materials and products had to be transported by sea. A small quay was produced for the loading and unloading of ships.
However the position of the works meant that as well as the effect of tides a heavy swell was often encountered. The small vessels were often battered while at the quayside, hitting the rocky seabed causing much damage to the craft. Many owners refused to risk their ships mooring there.
Just before the first world war the quality of the kiln firing seems to have reduced. This is rumoured to have been because of disagreement’s between Charles Tidy and his foreman. Even today around the site examples of under fired bricks can be seen slowly disintegrating while the over glazed bricks remain fused together in piles.
Most of the useful equipment and machinery in the brick works was removed to be used at a firm in Caernarfon some time before the second World War.