I'll start off by saying that this is a semi-permission visit, despite Hudson & Middleton having gone bust in 2017 the buildings have never been entirely derelict with parts being used by various other companies. One of the guys who is now using/living in some of the place allowed us to go for a bit of a stroll around. It's a bit of a weird one, whilst some parts are pretty much as they would have been the day the pottery closed, others are completely repurposed or empty. and some spaces are crammed full of half the contents of the Dudson pottery factory that closed last year and is currently being flattened. As it happens the guy who invited us in has been "procuring" various items ranging from raw materials, finished product and machinery with a view to sell them on and/or to exhibit them within the Hudson & Middleton factory buildings.
As I seem to constantly say about all Stoke things, this was another of those on the never ending list of things to do a fly by on every so often. With it not being a 100% derelict building it is fairly well looked after and most of the local yobbo inflicted window smashes are pretty quickly patched up. It has the added historical bonus of containing three fairly well looked after bottle kilns. One of which was the last to be fired, for a special event in 1978 organised by the nearby Gladstone Pottery Museum.
Both the Hudson and Middleton families operated a number of potteries on their own and also in partnership from the 1800's onwards, a notable example being the nearby Enson Works which used to be a popular stop on any explorers Pottery trip. In 1889 they were operating separate works, but when the Middleton's works were commandeered during World War 2 to be used as a munitions store the two joined forces again with them settling in Hudson's Sutherland Works. The company was primarily focused on making tea sets and the likes being one of the last remaining potteries manufacturing all of their fine bone china mugs in England. The last few years of operation were fairly tumultuous to say the least. In 2015 they invested a large sum in sprucing up the works which included the restoration of the front facade as well as the creation of a visitor centre and factory experience. The positivity was short lived though with the firm collapsing into administration in mid-2016, a month later it was saved in a buyout, before once again going into administration just under a year later.
The factory frontage in 1962, the bottle oven just visible is the one that was last to be fired in 1978. Archive image taken from Staffordshire Past Track.
The frontage as of 2020. The visitor centre entrance was behind the large blue doors in the archway underneath the pottery factory classic palladian window.
Interior of the visitor centre and factory shop. Note the information boards from the Dudson factory, the items on the plinths are also Dudson ware. The white IKEA shelves contain Hudson & Middleton ware.
As previously mentioned this factory was mostly concerned with the production of "cup" products, a large casting machine is still in place along with it's moulds and some unfinished ware.
Located close by is this up-and-over drying machine where the freshly cast ware would be dried prior to biscuit firing.
One of the lower levels was crammed full of crates of finished product. Note the crates were originally from a Royal Doulton factory - they had a number of sites in Longton so perhaps they were acquired when they closed.
One of the shuttle kilns, presumably for biscuit firing.
A key component of the slip casting pottery production method are plaster moulds. The Sutherland Works has a few small mould stores, none with the nice old racking you see in other works though.
An array of other kilns, the fourth one being a glost kiln used for the final firing after the decoration stage.
A few racks of transfers used for decorating the biscuit ware prior to the glost firing.
The upper floors are largely empty now, aside from some random gym equipment and the Dudson Duraline signage.
An area of the building that I can only assume was once used by the decorators, given the excellent natural lighting. It's now used as a small studio, hard to tell what is old/new.
A photograph of the last firing in 1978 of the bottle oven - this website has some excellent information around this event as well as a link to a Pathé film.
A few internal photographs of the kiln, I seem to have neglected to take any external shots whilst up on the roof of the building however I'm sure everyone pretty much knows what they look like by now...
Thanks for looking As I seem to constantly say about all Stoke things, this was another of those on the never ending list of things to do a fly by on every so often. With it not being a 100% derelict building it is fairly well looked after and most of the local yobbo inflicted window smashes are pretty quickly patched up. It has the added historical bonus of containing three fairly well looked after bottle kilns. One of which was the last to be fired, for a special event in 1978 organised by the nearby Gladstone Pottery Museum.
Both the Hudson and Middleton families operated a number of potteries on their own and also in partnership from the 1800's onwards, a notable example being the nearby Enson Works which used to be a popular stop on any explorers Pottery trip. In 1889 they were operating separate works, but when the Middleton's works were commandeered during World War 2 to be used as a munitions store the two joined forces again with them settling in Hudson's Sutherland Works. The company was primarily focused on making tea sets and the likes being one of the last remaining potteries manufacturing all of their fine bone china mugs in England. The last few years of operation were fairly tumultuous to say the least. In 2015 they invested a large sum in sprucing up the works which included the restoration of the front facade as well as the creation of a visitor centre and factory experience. The positivity was short lived though with the firm collapsing into administration in mid-2016, a month later it was saved in a buyout, before once again going into administration just under a year later.
The factory frontage in 1962, the bottle oven just visible is the one that was last to be fired in 1978. Archive image taken from Staffordshire Past Track.
The frontage as of 2020. The visitor centre entrance was behind the large blue doors in the archway underneath the pottery factory classic palladian window.
Interior of the visitor centre and factory shop. Note the information boards from the Dudson factory, the items on the plinths are also Dudson ware. The white IKEA shelves contain Hudson & Middleton ware.
As previously mentioned this factory was mostly concerned with the production of "cup" products, a large casting machine is still in place along with it's moulds and some unfinished ware.
Located close by is this up-and-over drying machine where the freshly cast ware would be dried prior to biscuit firing.
One of the lower levels was crammed full of crates of finished product. Note the crates were originally from a Royal Doulton factory - they had a number of sites in Longton so perhaps they were acquired when they closed.
One of the shuttle kilns, presumably for biscuit firing.
A key component of the slip casting pottery production method are plaster moulds. The Sutherland Works has a few small mould stores, none with the nice old racking you see in other works though.
An array of other kilns, the fourth one being a glost kiln used for the final firing after the decoration stage.
A few racks of transfers used for decorating the biscuit ware prior to the glost firing.
The upper floors are largely empty now, aside from some random gym equipment and the Dudson Duraline signage.
An area of the building that I can only assume was once used by the decorators, given the excellent natural lighting. It's now used as a small studio, hard to tell what is old/new.
A photograph of the last firing in 1978 of the bottle oven - this website has some excellent information around this event as well as a link to a Pathé film.
A few internal photographs of the kiln, I seem to have neglected to take any external shots whilst up on the roof of the building however I'm sure everyone pretty much knows what they look like by now...
