Taylor Wimpey : Bursledon Brickworks Museum receives welcome donation

Date: Thursday 09 November 2017

Our Southern Counties team provided a £500 boost towards the Bursledon Brickworks Museum in Southampton, Hampshire.

The donation went towards the cost of fuel to run a steam engine at the museum's open day on Sunday 10 September, which saw 370 visitors explore the history of brickwork.

Andy Fry, Volunteer and Trustee at the Bursledon Brickworks Museum, says: 'On behalf of the staff and volunteers at the museum, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Taylor Wimpey for this generation donation.

'Contributions like this help to keep our doors open to visitors and for the Brickworks Museum to be highlighted by the housing industry in particular is a real privilege - we really appreciate this lovely donation.'

The museum was founded as a working brickyard in 1897 but, due to political and social changes over the decades that followed, the site closed in 1974. In recognition of its historical value, the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant to create a fully functioning Brickworks Museum at Bursledon.

The museum, near ourKingfisher Grangedevelopment in Bursledon, was officially opened in 2013 and is run by a team of dedicated volunteers and staff.

Andy adds: 'Bricks are a necessity in making homes and buildings, but how they're made is often taken for granted now. We're proud to be recognised as an important local attraction which educates visitors about the heritage of the site and the rich history of brick making - from how the clay is formed to the making of a brick with original kilns and the power of steam engines.'

Roz Wells, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey Southern Counties, says: 'As a considerate local housebuilder, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we build our new homes, so we were delighted to provide a donation tothe Bursledon Brickworks Museum.

'We hope everyone enjoyed checking out the local history at the museum on the open day, and that many people will continue to visit the facility long into the future.'