Ashburton Road New Homes, Norfolk

Clayland was founded in 1998 and has spent more than 25 years building developments of between three and around 20 plots across Norfolk. Since forming its own in-house architectural practice in 2008, the company has controlled the full design-and-build process, from planning through to handover. Its homes are known locally for traditional styling, generous plots and a high level of craftsmanship.

Ickburgh is a small rural community in The Brecks, close to the River Wissey, where Clayland has built several previous schemes. For the Ashburton Road site, they once again turned to Vandersanden, their brick partner for around 15 years.

For Ashburton Road, Clayland combined three Vandersanden facing bricks into two distinct palettes. Chaucer Antique gives a soft, pale, buff-and-cream tone, while an Old Henley and Old Windsor blend adds warmer orange and pink-red hues. Paired with Clayland's chosen mortar mix, the result is a traditional feel: homes that could have been built last week or a hundred years ago.
That mix suits the local setting. Brick in this part of Norfolk ranges from pale gault and buff to warm reds, often alongside flint, so a varied palette helps new homes sit comfortably among older neighbours. All three are made from a blend of Brunssum and Maas clays, with sand used on the surface to create each colour and a grained, sand-coated texture. That surface variation is exactly what Clayland looks for: no two bricks are quite the same, which gives each elevation depth and character.

The relationship between Clayland and Vandersanden runs from the first design conversation to the last pallet on site. Vandersanden's UK team works with Clayland from brick selection onwards, while the customer service team at the UK office in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, handles scheduling, logistics and operations. That office stays in direct contact with the site foreman, so bricks arrive when and how the build programme needs them. 

For a small, specialist builder, that support matters as much as the product. When something goes wrong, Clayland knows they will not be left to solve the problem alone. “Ultimately we return to Vandersanden purely for the service, the finish of bricks, the range, and the support we get. If we have any issues or we make any mistakes, we've seen that Vandersanden are there to support us through that, getting that right as well.”