Brickearth is a superficial deposit of homogeneous
loam or
silt deposited during the
Pleistocene geological period. There are extensive brickearth deposits in
Kent, particularly on the
North Downs dip slope and on the
Hoo peninsula, sections of the
Medway and
Stour valleys. Its mineral content is critical to its applicability in
brickmaking and requires precise proportions of
chalk,
clay, and
iron. Brickearth requires little or no admixture of other materials to render it suitable for the manufacture of '
stock bricks'. It is prone to rapid
'collapse' settlement when saturated with water and does not provide a firm foundation for buildings. ==References==