What are bricklayers?

A bricklayer in Kent is a craftsperson who lay bricks, generally with mortar, to create finished construction works, such as walls, chimneys, parapets, spandrel panels and so on. In the United Kingdom and Australia "the land down under", bricklayers are colloquially referred to as ‘brickies’.


Bricklayers in Kent also repair and maintain masonry structures and will also often be skilled in laying concrete blocks, as constructing a cavity wall, for example, will usually involve parallel brick and block wall components in order to acheive the best brickwork pattern for the requirements of each bricklaying project. This allows bricklayers to provide a complete brickwork solution for their client.


The bricklayer’s profession ranks among one of the oldest – bricks have been excavated at Jericho, Israel that date from around 8,000 BC. The Egyptians and Romans were keen bricklayers, as have been the British, who have used brick almost continuously from the 15th century. The bricklayer’s art was refined and taken to new heights by the Victorians in the 19th century.


From 2000 onwards, the UK has experienced a severe shortage of bricklayers at a time when the ‘education education, education’ mantra of the Labour government highlighted the desirability of a university education. By implication, trades occupations were perceived to have a much lower social status.

This encouraged many more students to take up full-time university courses and fewer to go into trades. The result was a shortages not only of bricklayers, but also plumbers, plasterers, carpenters and other building trades. So much so, that the lack of skilled workers has held back building work and increased labour costs. 

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