Brickwork is the craft and finished result of building with bricks laid in mortar. It covers walls, chimneys, arches, vaults and decorative details, and its character depends on the size, colour and texture of the bricks, the pattern or bond in which they are laid, and the type and finish of the mortar joints.
The Romans built extensively in brick, and the material returned to prominence in England in the late medieval and Tudor periods, notably in East Anglia and at great houses and palaces built of red brick with diaper patterns and elaborate moulded chimneys. English bond prevailed until Flemish bond became fashionable in the late seventeenth century, and Georgian builders favoured fine rubbed and gauged brick for arches and window heads. The Victorians exploited mass-produced and polychrome bricks and terracotta. For historic buildings, soft lime mortar is essential, since hard cement mortar traps moisture and damages old bricks. Reclaimed handmade bricks are keenly sought for repairs, extensions and garden walls, where their irregular shape and weathered colour help new work sit comfortably beside old.
