Hathern Terra Cotta™
Hathern Terra Cotta is the UK’s leading manufacturer of traditional hand pressed architectural terra cotta & faience. We also specialise in supplying bespoke Architectural components, specifically designed to integrate with our extensive product range offered by the Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC group. The skills and experience of our team has evolved over generations. We have grown to become one of the most prestigious brands offering unrivalled artistry and workmanship from the base at our Leicestershire factory, ideally located in the heart of the country.
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Obtaining & Mixing
Local SourcesEach Michelmersh factory uses clay from its local quarry, which is never more than 2.5km away. Clay is the most important part of the brick, it determines the properties, quality and look of the finished product and brick plants are usually established where you find an abundance of the right clay. Michelmersh’s factories use two different types of manufacturing process, soft mud and stiff mud or extruded. The basic recipe for brickmaking includes clay, sand and water, mixed together with a substance that speeds up the firing process, in tried and tested proportions to ensure the bricks are solid, strong, beautiful and durable.
MixingThe process of mixing the different clays together and adding water is part of the clay’s preparation and ensures the mixture is the desired consistency. Once the mixture is perfect it makes its way through crushers and rollers, smoothing the mixture and more water is added where needed. The clay mixture is now ready. In a soft mud process the mixture is placed into moulds, either by hand or using a machine, turned out, dried and fired. Bricks made this way contain lots of water and therefore these bricks undergo a drying process to remove most of the water before being fired, this produces a brick called a ‘Stock Brick’. -
Surveying & Moulding
SurveyingProducts destined for architectural terra cotta or faience, have incredibly detailed shop drawings are made up which contain the information required to manufacture the block. Detailed measurements and profiles are taken from each unit type to be replaced.
Crafting ModelsIf the clay is destined for intricate moulds, our design team will create specialized zinc templates to create the required profile. The clay used in these projects is densely pressed into every corner of the mould and then left for a period until the clay has semi-dried. Once the mould is removed, each element is hand sanded and checked for blemishes, which are then delicately removed. -
Firing & Drying
Drying Terra Cotta & FaienceTerra cotta and faience units are left to air dry and pallets for days after their removal from the moulds. Eventually, they are moved into mechanical dryers which remove the remaining moisture over a 5-day operating cycle. If the blocks are to be Architectural Faience, they require glazing before being loaded into the kiln. Metal Oxide glazes are sprayed onto the surface of the block in layers.
Terra Cotta and Faience FiringMolds are loaded onto kiln cars and wheeled into the kiln. They are then fired to 1170 degrees C and the firing cycle lasts for 4 days. Once fired the units are checked for faults and dimensional tolerances.
VitrificationThe most important stage of the firing process is called “vitrification” which refers to the transformation of the raw materials into brittle, non-crystalline glass – the qualities that give a brick its incredible strength and durability. As vitrification continues, the porosity of the fired product becomes lower, the raw materials are glued together, and its final colour becomes apparent. -
Distribution & Shipping
Packaging & DistributionAfter this, the units are packed by hand or by robots and placed into storage until they are ready to be distributed either into stockists yards or delivered directly to site. Clays’ resurgence as an environmentally conscious choice has maintained its popularity. Michelmersh is focused on reducing single-use-plastics and puts a great deal of effort into the quality of its packaging processes. Its own delivery trucks are accredited to high FORS Health & Safety standards.
Case Studies
Hathern Terra Cotta’s pedigree is impeccable; being the successors of the Hathern Station Brick & Terra Cotta Co., established in 1874. Their acquired knowledge, handed down over decades, now resides in the hands of our experienced craftsmen. In recent years our specialist expertise has been called upon for the UK’s most prestigious buildings. We believe that the manufacture of Architectural Terra Cotta is art, not engineering. We pride ourselves on preserving these precious skills, placing the greatest emphasis on quality, pride in workmanship and attention to detail.
Dores War Memorial, Inverness
Jimmy Choo, London
V&A Museum, London
Brighton College, East Sussex
Elite Cinema, Nottingham
Dores War Memorial, Inverness
Bespoke Terra Cotta & Faience
Created by truly skilled craftspeople, our Terra Cotta and Faience creations are as bespoke and unique as the buildings that home them. Each project demands a steady hand and the skills handed down by generations of artists.
