PLACE NAME
The Atlas Brick & Tile Co., operated from Willesden Junction, Old Oak Lane, Acton, between from 1886 to 1909. It was strategically located between the railway and the canal, having made a railway sidings agreement with Midland Railway Company in 1885. The works included kilns and a large clay pit to the south. The company utilised local clay deposits to make its bricks and tiles and transported them around London via the trains. It was one of many brick and tile works in the area, exploiting Acton’s extensive brickearth and, at its peak, was one of the largest firms of its type. It was owned by James Knox and managed by EE Osbourne. The company is listed in Kellys 1890 to 1899 editions. Recorded as disused in 1913, the site was redeveloped after the First World War. Atlas named after the Greek mythological character was a Titan who was condemned to hold up the celestial heavens for eternity, was a popular name for brickmakers.
