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1903 Our history
William Tribe Lamb founded the brick-making and trading business, WT Lamb & Sons over 100 years ago. The company supplied the Victorian buildings of London and the South East with fine handmade bricks, thrown and clamp-fired in Essex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

As a long-established traditional brick maker and hands-on arch cutter, Robert Lamb acquired the rights to produce Thomas Lawrence Bracknell Red Rubbers and use the TLB trade mark. These distinctive bricks and rubbers have been used on iconic buildings, including Claridges, Westminster Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace. We continue to hand make them to this day.

Building on our reputation for quality and for providing authentic British building materials, we expanded from bricks into natural stone. In 2004, we secured the right to excavate Philpots Quarry, the last remaining large source of Wealden Sussex Sandstone in the UK.

Five generations later, Lambs is still a family-owned business with a focus on providing quality products to the building industry.

































































Lambs & Mr Churchill
After buying Chartwell House in Kent in 1922, Sir Winston Churchill carried out various major works. Around 1928 he asked his good friend George Mowlem-Burt where he could find bricks to match his house. George suggested that Churchill contact his friend, Bertrand Cardain Lamb.

Mr Churchill arranged to visit the Lambs brickworks at Godstone. At the time Bertrand and his wife were on holiday in South Africa, and their sons, Richard (18) and Anthony (20) had been left in charge of the business. Churchill explained to Richard that he was unable to source bricks to match those at Chartwell. Richard agreed to visit Chartwell with samples to try and find a match.

On his first visit, Richard was unable to find a match that satisfied him. It was agreed to remove four bricks from an existing wall to allow Lambs to match them perfectly. This was with the proviso that, should Lambs be unable to match them, they would pay for them to be replaced in the wall.

On Richard Lamb’s second visit, the samples were a good match. Sir Winston agreed that Lambs would supply him with 4,004 bricks: 4,000 were to be paid for; the remaining four would be provided free of charge to replace those removed from the wall.

During this visit the two men had lengthy discussions on bricklaying, and Richard gave Mr Churchill a demonstration. (In 1928 Winston Churchill received honorary membership of the local Bricklaying Union, but gave it up after political pressure and objections from Union Members.)

On returning from his trip, Bertrand visited Chartwell House to check on the service his young son had provided. On meeting Mr Churchill, the two men got on so well that Winston insisted Bertrand stay for lunch. Many glasses of wine later, Bertrand Lamb emerged having acquired a cigar-smoking habit which, much to the annoyance of his family, he continued into old age.

About Lambs

Lambs is an established family-owned supplier of fine bricks and natural stone. For five generations, we have been assisting architects, planning and conservation officers, building conservationists, builders, developers, homeowners, and merchants create and restore remarkable buildings.

WHERE TRADITION MEETS TECHNOLOGY
Originally known as WT Lamb, then Lambs Bricks and Arches, today Lambs designs and makes gauged arches, facing bricks and specials at our brickworks in Sussex. In our Sussex quarry we extract natural stone, and design and craft architectural masonry in a number of vernacular finishes.
A SOURCE OF DISTINCTIVE MATERIALS
We are the sole manufacturers of authentic TLB Red Rubbers and Handmade Imperial Rubber Range bricks which are supplied for the restoration of listed buildings and historic properties. We operate the only surviving large quarry for Wealden Sussex Sandstone (also known as Tunbridge Wells Sandstone). And we are the sole suppliers of Port Lime and Port Regent, natural limestones sourced from some of Europe’s finest historic quarries.
COMBINING MANUAL CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Members of The Guild of Master Craftsmen, we owe the quality of our products to the honed skills of our red masons and stone masons (some of whom are third-generation craftsmen at Lambs). Although some of our tools and techniques date back to the 16th Century, we use the latest technology in our design processes, enabling us to deliver precise working drawings and 3D visualisations.
EXPERTISE RELEVANT TO PROJECTS OF ANY SIZE
We are more than happy to share our knowledge of using traditional and natural materials with you. Whether you need a single brick or stone lintel, or tonnes of a distinctive bricks or stone for a contemporary building, call our sales team to arrange a visit to discuss your options.
Award-winning craftsmanship

Our quality materials have been used by some of Britain's leading architects and craftsmen in these award-winning buildings. From small modern houses to historic country homes, housing developments to public buildings.

53-56 HANS PLACE
London
2019 Architects Journal Brick & Stone Winner
Supplied: 5,000 CNC cut TLB Red Rubber Specials in the shape of coco beans, TLB Red Rubber Gauged Arches
THE FORGE
East Row, Chichester
Sussex Heritage Trust, 2017
Supplied: Kent Multi Stocks
CAIRNS TOWER
Brighton College, Brighton
Sussex Heritage Trust Awards, 2015
RIBA South East Awards, 2017
HOUND LODGE
Kennel Hill, Goodwood
Sussex Heritage Trust, 2017
Supplied: Rubber Range Multi Facings and specials, TLB Rubbed & Gauged Gothic Arches with Portland stone keystone, Portland and Yorkstone architectural detailing
SOUTH STREET
Lewes
Sussex Heritage Trust, 2016
British Homes Award, 2016
Supplied: Silver & Dark Grey Glazed Facings
THE CHAPEL ROYAL
Brighton
Sussex Heritage Awards, 2013
Supplied: Rubber Range Medium Multi Facings, TLB Rubbed & Gauged Specials
18 CALVERLEY PARK
Tunbridge Wells
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society, 2012
Technical advice

We are passionate about our products and love to see them used well in impressive buildings. Here’s how you can achieve the perfect finish.

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Need assistance?

Our experienced technical consultants would be happy to answer your questions about any of our products or materials. Contact us to discuss what you need.

FOR STONE CALL
01342 811311
FOR BRICKS AND ARCHES
01403 785141