The Shoe Trail, Rossendale

The Shoe trail celebrated the industries of the Rossendale Valley through imagery and materials used in its construction. Follow the trail from the East Lancashire Steam Railway in the town of Rawentstall up towards the Halo at Top O Slate which gives you complete panoramic views of the valley below.

The designs were created by the young people of Rawtenstall through workshops looking at the shoe and slipper industry of the valley. The workshops started at the Shoe Museum in the town looking at how shoes were made which helped them create their own designer shoes.

The pieces were carved by Julie Miles to the designs in a red brick sourced from a clay pit at Huncoat, the other end of the valley. Brick was used to reflect the industry of the valley at the turn of the 1900's when there were over forty thriving brickworks with at least two being supplied from the clay pits at Top O Slate.

Marks and Spencers Simply Food store in Moortown, Leeds

Ibstock commissioned panel in buff brick.

The piece was commissioned to commemorate the old coaching inn that stood on the site of the newly extended Marks and Spencers. The panel was carved into wet brick and stained to match the surrounding brick before firing. The commission stands at the car park entrance to the store.

Brick kiln, Wayside Arts Trail Burnley.

A new arts trail has at its pinnacle this traditional brick kiln. Green unfired bricks of Ravenhead clay were carved by Julie and after firing constructed on site.

Julie worked with schoolchildren from two local schools to come up with the design of the replica ‘beehive’ kiln which features images of local insects, birds and woodland animals. The trail was officially opened in November 2005.

Ibstock Brick Ltd used the Brick Kiln in a number of documents. It has been featured in the Ibstock Portfolio April 2006 (catalogue), Environmental Report 2005, Sustainability Report 2006, D-Zine magazine, and also on the Lancashire Brick and Tile Ltd website.

This project was short listed for the BRICK AWARDS 2006
Best Landscape Project Catagory.

This piece was commissioned by Jennings Design Associates, Manchester on behalf of the Sisters of Notre Dame Convent, Birkdale, Merseyside.

The piece was based on the orders brass cross and French motto that is inscribed on the reverse. The cross was designed and carved in Roughdales buff clay brick and stained with a copper oxide to strengthen the texture and the carved details.

Measuring 3.5m x 2.5m this is one of the largest pieces to date but has fuelled the fire for further large-scale works.

Benches Project, Witton Park High School and Business Enterprise Centre.

Key Stage 3 students from the High School and students of the feeder Primary School were involved in the design and creation of these benches, constructed with hand-cut blocks of fine grain Ravenhead Red Smooth from the Specials department at Roughdales Ibstock, St Helens

Once complete the students stained the carvings with a copper oxide wash and dismantled each seat, hollowed out and numbered each brick ready for firing back at the factory. When fired the pieces were returned to the school and constructed by the head of the Art Department using a neutral coloured mortar.

Shortlisted for the BRICK AWARDS 2007

These brick thrones (unfired) were designed and created with the help of the children of Colmore Junior School, Kings Heath, Birmingham. The pieces were designed to celebrate the end of an allotment project where four schools have grown and harvested their own fruit and vegetables to produce a feast fit for the King and Queen of the vegetable patch. The work will eventually be sited at the school in the playground.