Briqueterie Lambert

English translation

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History

In 1859, the prefect of Eure-et-Loir authorised Jean-Baptiste Lambert to construct a tile kiln on land he owned at the locality known as la Lumière in Saint-Piat. The first kiln, which was square in plan, has now practically disappeared; only a few vestiges of the firing chamber and the chimney, which is incorporated into the building housing the present kiln, remain. The latter, no doubt erected between 1880 and 1910, is a double-gallery kiln of Hoffmann type: the production capacity is thus considerably improved since the fire is continuous; indeed the loading and unloading operations take place at the same time, at opposite ends of the kiln. The kiln itself consists of two galleries 32 metres long. Each gallery is pierced with nine doors allowing loading and unloading. The fire was lit at the southern end of the eastern gallery. The temperature rise lasted 15 days; a further 15 days were necessary for the fire to travel around the galleries. The fire was fed by means of coal introduced through holes made in the vault of the galleries. Coal supply was carried out by means of coal distributors composed of cylindrical apparatus fitted with ceramic funnels. These distributors were moved according to the progress of the fire in the kiln. The bricks laid in the kiln were placed on edge and stacked in a staggered pattern to allow the circulation of smoke during combustion. Unloading took place opposite to the loading and firing zone. Fresh air entering the galleries was warmed by contact with the bricks and gradually cooled them. Eight days were necessary for the cooling of a chamber. The chimney situated to the East was connected to the kiln by underground galleries. A system of metal dampers allowed the draught of the fumes to be regulated. Drying rooms composed of wooden shelves are arranged all around the kiln as well as at the level corresponding to the kiln vault. A small hoist and wooden ramps calibrated for guiding wheelbarrows allowed the raw bricks to be transported there. Ventilation was carried out by means of wooden shutters with adjustable blades which can still be seen on the northern gable wall. Brick-built boilers arranged in the drying sheds allowed the air to be reheated if necessary. On the eastern side of the kiln, a tunnel drying room was constructed at an undetermined date. Fitted with rails, it allowed cargoes of bricks to be circulated on small wagons. The machines that were used for grinding, sizing or kneading the clay have now disappeared; however the conveyor belts and hoppers give a good picture of this manufacturing area. These machines were powered by a Ruston diesel engine dating from around 1930. It replaced a steam engine and operated until 1995, the year of the last firing. The brickworks has remained in the Lambert family since its origin. It also manufactured tiles until 1950 and ceased to stamp its bricks when its production was sold to merchants. Among its clients are notably enterprises from Normandy. Bricks are also said to have been used for the construction of Bichat hospital in Paris. This type of kiln is poorly represented in the region; only the sites of Grossouvre and La Guerche can be compared to it, but it does not appear that they have preserved their original layout and equipment. This is sufficient to make the Lambert brickworks an essential building for understanding the development of industrialisation in the 19th century. It also clearly bears witness to the economic and industrial history of this small village in the Eure valley since the middle of the 19th century. Its good state of preservation and especially the retention on site of the tools make it a precious record for understanding the method of brick manufacture, but also the operation of a kiln that was at once industrial and artisanal (almost everything was done by hand).