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Plans for former brickworks site evolving - owners

Alex Pope
BBC News, Bedfordshire
Knight Frank An aerial map view of the Stewartby site. The development area is marked with a red outlineKnight Frank
The Bedfordshire site covers about 130 acres (about 50 hectares)

The company behind the redevelopment of a site that was once home to the world's largest brickworks is asking people to give their thoughts on its "evolving plans".

The former Stewartby brickworks in Bedfordshire has outline planning consent for 1,000 new homes, a school and community facilities.

The 130-acre (about 50-hectare) site is about six miles (10km) from Bedford town centre and close to land where Universal is planning on building its first theme park in Europe.

A community day is taking place at Stewartby Village Hall from 12:00 until 16:00 BST.

Alex Pope/BBC An old brown brick building, in a bad state of repair, showing an overgrown grass area in front, trees growing close to the buildings, and a number of windows all boarded up. Alex Pope/BBC
The site has been empty for years and many of the former brickworks buildings have fallen into disrepair

Property developers Harworth purchased the land in September 2024 from Heidelberg Materials, previously known as Hanson UK.

At one time there were 167 chimneys on the land, but in September 2021 the last four were demolished.

South Beds News Agency Four chimneys at the former Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick brickworks, near Bedford.South Beds News Agency
All the chimneys that once dominated the skyline have been demolished

Harworth said the site, which has "unique historical significance", was "set to become a vibrant and sustainable new neighbourhood south of Bedford".

Outline planning permission has been in place since 2021, but the company said it needed to make revisions.

It said it would still build homes, a community hub, new employment spaces, and places to meet and play. The company has not responded regarding what the revisions might be.

It said it was looking to "reflect the rich heritage of the site across the development, so that the importance of the brickworks can be recognised into the future".

"We would like to know your thoughts to help us evolve our proposals for the former Stewartby brickworks site," the company said.

If plans go ahead, building work could begin in the summer of 2027, with the first people set to move in by early 2028.

Brickmaking at Stewartby

Getty Images Black and white image of two people working at Stewartby in 1942. Chimneys are visible behind them.Getty Images
Stewartby, pictured here in 1942, was part of the London Brick Company
  • Brickmaking in the area began when John Cathles Hill, a housebuilder, bought various small local companies, which became the London Brick Company (LBC) in 1900
  • In 1926, the LBC began to build a garden village for its employees at Wootton Pillinge
  • The Wootton Pillinge LBC village was renamed Stewartby in 1936, after the Stewart family, directors of the LBC
  • In the same year, Stewartby was recognised as the largest brickworks in the world, employing 2,000 people and producing 500 million bricks a year
  • Four of the original chimneys remained on the site, standing up to 70m (230ft) tall, until 26 September 2021

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