The Brief
Jubilee Gardens is a sensitively designed new-build residential development located in the village of Stainton, Cumbria. Delivered by Atkinson Homes, one of the region’s most respected independent developers, the scheme features a collection of 2,3 and 4 bedroom homes that respects the character and architecture of the surrounding area.
Situated on the fringe of a traditional English village, the development demanded a brick that could hold its own against the timeless brick and stone developments in the local area. Atkinson Homes and Cyclone Distribution worked closely with Traditional Brick & Stone to supply our Birkdale Blend facing brick — a product celebrated for its authenticity, colour depth, and proven performance for house builders in the UK.
Atkinson Homes set out to create a development that felt rooted in its setting — homes that would age gracefully and complement the rural Cumbria landscape rather than sit apart from it. The planning context required materials sympathetic to the location, which is characterised by a warm palette of buff, red, and multi-toned brickwork combined with natural stone detailing.
The key criteria for brick selection included:
1. Authenticity of appearance — a weathered, handmade aesthetic to complement local buildings.
2. Colour consistency across the development without uniformity — natural variation within each batch.
3. Authenticity of appearance — a weathered, handmade aesthetic to complement local buildings.
4. High durability - rated F2 for the exposed Northern conditions.
5. Reliable supply chain and scheduling certainty to meet the phased build programme.
6. A distribution partner with strong regional presence and responsive service.
The Brick Choice
The Traditional Brick & Stone Birkdale Blend features a handmade textured finish, produced to replicate the character of historically fired brickwork found throughout the North of England. Drawing on a warm palette that ranges from soft reds and russets through to buff and brown, the Birkdale Blend achieves an organic, time-worn quality that is increasingly difficult to source from standard facing brick ranges.
Features and specification:
1. Colour range: warm multi-tone blend of red, buff, and brown tones with natural fired variation.
2. Brick Size: 65mm
3. Finish: textured, hand-formed surface providing depth and shadow typical of period brickwork
4. Frost resistance: F2 designation — fully rated for severe UK weathering exposure
5. Water absorption: optimised to balance performance with the appearance of traditional brickwork.
6. Sustainability: manufactured using natural clay materials with a long design life, minimising lifecycle impacts
Conclusion
The successful delivery of Jubilee Gardens was made possible through a well-established supply partnership between Traditional Brick & Stone and Cyclone Distribution. Cyclone’s regional knowledge and commitment to programme-sensitive delivery were central to keeping the development on schedule.
Jubilee Gardens is a compelling example of how thoughtful material selection transforms a new-build development from simply a collection of houses into a place with genuine character and longevity. The Birkdale Blend facing brick from Traditional Brick & Stone delivers the warmth and authenticity required by both planning authority and developer, while Cyclone Distribution ensured that the supply chain performed as reliably as the product itself.
Atkinson Homes continues to work with Traditional Brick & Stone and Cyclone Distribution across its wider portfolio, and Jubilee Gardens stands as a reference project for both the product range and the partnership model.
To find out more information on the Birkdale Blend, please visit our brick selector page or contact us to request more information and a brick sample.
