How York Handmade Brick Company provided a boost for cathedral in honour of St Alban, Britain's first Christian martyr

A Yorkshire based brickmaker has been honoured for its work restoring some of Britain’s most famous buildings.

The York Handmade Brick Company, which is one of the largest independent brickmakers in the country, has been highly commended in the prestigious 2021 Brick Awards.

York Handmade, based at Alne, near Easingwold, in North Yorkshire, was short- listed for three awards, following the company’s role in creating the new library at Magdalene College, Cambridge; the restoration of St Alban's Cathedral in Hertfordshire; and the new Valentine House at Allostock in Cheshire.

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St Alban's Cathedral was highly commended in the public category and has also won a string of other coveted regional and national awards, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s East Award and East Conservation Award 2021.

St Albans Cathedral was highly commended in the public category and has also won a string of other coveted regional and national awards, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s East Award and East Conservation Award 2021.St Albans Cathedral was highly commended in the public category and has also won a string of other coveted regional and national awards, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s East Award and East Conservation Award 2021.
St Albans Cathedral was highly commended in the public category and has also won a string of other coveted regional and national awards, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s East Award and East Conservation Award 2021.

York Handmade chairman David Armitage said: “We are tremendously proud to have been shortlisted for these three fantastic projects this year and to be highly commended for our work at St Alban's Cathedral.

“Huge thanks are due to the management team and employees at York Handmade for their imagination, enterprise and hard work, which all combined to make these projects so successful and so memorable.

“It is vitally important to stress that these entries are completely different jobs in design and execution, graphically illustrating our ability to work in a wide variety of colours and styles. We believe we can tackle any brickwork project successfully.

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“St Albans is the home of some of the earliest examples of brick use in Roman Britain, so as a brick-maker, we are very humbled to supply one of the birth places of brick in the UK.

“St Alban's Cathedral stands on the site of St Alban’s execution and burial. He was the first Christian British martyr,” said Mr Armitage

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Andy Davey of Edinburgh-based architects Simpson and Brown, who worked with York Handmade on the St Alban's project, added: “To be highly commended in such a competitive shortlist is a real honour. Having worked with York Handmade previously on a number of prestigious projects, including the major remodelling of York Art Gallery, we were delighted to re-establish our relationship for the creation of the new Visitor and Learning Centre at St Alban's Cathedral."