Be inspired by Bricks!
One of Somerset Brick and Tile Museum‘s most interesting objects is the Bath Brick.
Bridgwater was once famous not just for its red bricks and roof tiles, but also for the Bath Brick. These weren’t building bricks at all, but cleaning blocks made from river silt found only in the River Parrett near Bridgwater’s Town Bridge. Families used Bath Bricks to polish their knives, forks, and spoons long before stainless steel was invented, and even soldiers carried the powdered version with them during the First World War.
Making Bath Bricks was hard work: men and women collected the river silt, shaped it into bricks, fired them in kilns, and wrapped them up to be sent all over the world. At its busiest, Bridgwater produced millions of bricks each year!
Make your own Soap Dough Bath Brick (playdough-like soap for bath-time fun)
Make Soap Dough
Ingredients:
- 60ml liquid soap/shower gel/shampoo of choice
- 1 tsp of sunflower oil (or use: olive oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil)
- 100g cornflour
Mix together the liquids and slowly add in the cornflour, adding more/less in if necessary, depending on consistency.
We’ve shaped our soap dough into bricks to honour the original Bridgwater Bath Brick, but why not use it like play dough and experiment with different shapes, before it turns to bubbles in your bath.
Festive bath dough 
Shaping your dough 
Stamping your dough Discover the Bridgwater Bath Brick
Find out the history of this Bridgwater-exclusive brick, how it was made and why it was used.
Safety Notice: Not for consumption. Adult supervision is required. Avoid contact with eyes, and discontinue if skin irritation occurs.