Local products were used to build houses, schools, universities and hospitals across the UK, Cardiff\u2019s Pier Head, Liverpool\u2019s Victoria Building and London Natural History Museum.<\/p>\n
Wrexham\u2019s bricks could be found in naval bases in Singapore and its tiles in Indian maharaja palaces and great ocean liners like the Titanic.<\/p>\n
Many of the area\u2019s brickworks are have long since been torn down and now the most famous of the lot is set to meet a similar fate. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter<\/a> sent twice daily to your inbox<\/p>\n Demolition of Hafod Tileries has been in the wind for some time but an announced start date of Wednesday, April 15, has caused anger and dismay. Online, the decision was labelled \u201ccrazy\u201d and \u201cabsolutely appalling.<\/p>\n Elaine Thomas said: \u201cThe brickworks was at least as important in terms of local and national industrial history as the steelworks, the mines, and the breweries.\u201d Russ Simon added: \u201cAnother part of history that will be lost, just like every thing else in the area, shame.\u201d<\/p>\n Red tile coat of arms at the brick and tile works(Image: Eirian Evans\/Wiki)<\/p>\n Steve Smith said the destruction of the large complex of factory buildings would be a \u201cmomentous\u201d loss, adding: \u201cIn Manchester there are so many Ruabon brick structures.\u201d<\/p>\n Agreeing, Jack Welshman said: \u201cGiven it\u2019s heritage I\u2019m surprised it\u2019s not listed. It was a hugely busy place in it\u2019s heyday. The tiles were used on some very well known places, Grand Central Station New York as an example.\u201d<\/p>\n At one time there were more than 100 brickworks in the area, from small-scale suppliers to much bigger operators like Dennis Ruabon and JC Edwards in Acrefair which employed well over 1,000 people at their height.<\/p>\n They took advantage of the region\u2019s Etruria Marl clay, which was not found elsewhere. Its high iron content gave bricks and tiles their distinctive rich red colour, neither did they shrink or crack like other clay products.<\/p>\n Birmingham’s Victoria Law Courts(Image: Oosoom\/Wiki)<\/p>\n Such was the popularity of Dennis Ruabon products, which also included ridge tiles and chimney pots, the site became known as the \u201cRed Works\u201d.<\/p>\n By the late 1970s it was mostly producing quarry tiles rather than bricks, and when the site closed in 2008 it was the last brick and tile works in North Wales.<\/p>\n A new company called Ruabon Sales was formed on the site and the name lives on in the tiles its produces.<\/p>\n In 2013, an outline planning application was approved on appeal to build 300 homes, shop, play areas and several industrial units.<\/p>\n However, the site has remained derelict since and the buildings are considered dangerous, their interiors strewn with debris and industrial artefacts.<\/p>\n On April 1, Birkenhead-based ST Demolition and Groundwork sought consent from Wrexham Council for the method of demolition and the site\u2019s proposed restoration.<\/p>\n Dennis Ruabon’s Terracotta Works(Image: Google)<\/p>\n Johnstown councillor David A Bithell told the Wrexham Leader a reserved application for housing on the site has not been approved. He said that future plans for the site should \u201cconsider the history and heritage of the surrounding area\u201d.<\/p>\n Entire families once worked at Dennis Ruabon and the factory is remembered fondly. Despite their utilitarian appearance, some buildings have astonishingly detailed terracotta murals.<\/p>\n On social media, James Harrison said: \u201cIt could have been creatively, sensitively, and sensibly converted into mews-like properties, therefore keeping as many points of interest as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n A Llangollen<\/a> man said the site would attract interest from the US and Canadian visitors \u2013 the thinking behind designs for Wrexham AFC<\/a>\u2019s new Kop stand which make an obvious nod to the area\u2019s Terracottapolis reputation.<\/p>\n \u201cShould be a focus on preserving it and investing,\u201d he said. \u201cWould make an amazing museum\/heritage park like Ironbridge or something similar. Outdated thinking on display.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0_AFRDPW110226DennisRuabon.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Birmingham's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0_AFRDPW110226LawCourt.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Dennis](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0_AFRDPW110226DennisRuabon_04.jpg\")
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