The brickie's trade was a growing one in the Middle Ages and one which, as David points out, would largely change the appearance of English architecture. The pilgrims would have seen many examples of his craft on their way to Canterbury, for the brickie could be either a maker or a layer of bricks. Brickmaking is a very ancient craft indeed. The term "bricks without straw" to describe a task which is unrealistically difficult, takes us back to biblical times and the oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians.
    Brickmaking in Britain goes back to Roman times. They made broad, thin bricks by pressing tempered clay into wooden frames set on a hard, flat drying ground. They were left until stiff enough to prop up in pairs before being fired. In early medieval times, new methods of molding the bricks were introduced--pallet and slop moulding. The latter system, using a wet mould instead of the Roman sanding method, continued in use until this century.