Over the past couple of years I’ve developed quite an interest in the ceramics industry. It’s probably one of the only industries I feel I have a bit of a connection with (alongside Coal), as growing up near Swadlincote in South Derbyshire, big sites such as TG Green / Mason Cash and Bretby Art were familiar sights and being relatively local meant you probably had family members working in them too. I even flunked my first job interview at Greens! Plus you don’t have to try particularly hard to make a derelict pottery look good photographically - a couple of bottle ovens, a pile of mossy moulds, some Victorian brickwork and you’re away.
Having missed out on several good ones (Doulton and Spode), I wanted to try and see as much as I could before even more disappear. Some of the following sites are well visited and documented, others less so. But here’s what there’s been to see over the last couple of years in Stoke-on-Trent & South Derbyshire.
Thanks to @oldboots @raisinwing @Humpa @Gsxrwayne and @bmichelle for joining in with the antics.
Aynsley China, Portland Works - Longton
The Portland Works was constructed in 1861 along Sutherland Road in Longton eventually becoming one of four Aynsley works in the area.
Some Aynsley vases on the factory floor in front of four electric kilns – the doors presumably sold for scrap at some point since closure
Tams, Crown Works - Longton
Build in 1841 and occupied by John Tams from 1875 until 2006. The offices look fantastic from the road – unfortunately heavily modernised and absolutely battered inside
2 Bricesco kilns on the shop floor
Midwinter - Burslem
Constructed in 1880 along Bournes Bank in Burlsem lie the remains of the former Midwinter Pottery. W.R Midwinter Ltd took over the works in 1910. I am unsure who the buildings were originally constructed for. Answers on a postcard please!
Nothing original left sadly, besides two mountainous piles of smashed china sticking out of the flooded basement.
Royal Doulton, Testing Labs - Burslem
The last remaining part of the former Royal Doulton Nile Street Works in Burslem are the factory shop & ‘central testing laboratory’. Production ceased in Burlsem in 2005 and moved abroad. The rest of the site has long since been demolished and redevelopment seems imminent.
Sample moulds in a cupboard – Beswick being a Doulton brand between 1969 and 2002
A particularly derped office next to the main workshop
Wade Ceramics, Hilltop Works - Burslem
The former Wade Ceramics site in Burslem, also known as the ‘Hilltop’ works was originally built in 1811 and occupied by John & Richard Riley. It was used by Wades from 1954 until construction of a new works in Etruria was completed in 2010.
Wade produce ceramic flagons for the Chivas Royal Salute line of whiskey. This blue bottle shaped thing is a plug which is used to produce the moulds themselves.
Shop floor & tunnel kiln
Another thing Wade produced are ‘whimsies’ which are these awful pot animal figures
Looking over the large site from an office window
Acme Marls - Burslem
All that remains of the Acme Marls site are these bottle ovens (plus one out of frame), which are the only examples of the updraft type kiln left standing. Marls produced kiln furniture used to stack ware inside a kiln ready for firing.
T.G Green – Church Gresley
TG Green operated from Church Gresley from 1864 to 2007, most famously producing Cornishware.
Top floor at Greens, rapidly succumbing to the sogginess
Despatch department
The ‘Diana’ bottle oven contains these stacks of saggars which were apparently part of a display
Cobalt blue powdered glaze and decorators brushes
Canteen
Berkshire China - Fenton
This building has had many uses during its life, latterly as a furniture sales wholesaler but originally a bakery set up by H.P Emburey Bakers. It has been home to several small potters and wholesalers during the late 90’s and early 00’s such as Berkshire China, Brian Wood Ceramics, Staffordshire China and Best China.
Transfers for mugs
Lord Nelson - Hanley
Lord Nelson was founded by Elijah Cotton and the factory was constructed in 1885 on the site of an even older works. The site was mainly cleared a couple of years ago and the few remaining buildings alongside the Trent & Mersey canal were last used by Milton China.
A potters’ wheel in the basement
Bombsite
Some intact tiles and china unearthed after rummaging in an outbuilding
CONTINUTED...
Having missed out on several good ones (Doulton and Spode), I wanted to try and see as much as I could before even more disappear. Some of the following sites are well visited and documented, others less so. But here’s what there’s been to see over the last couple of years in Stoke-on-Trent & South Derbyshire.
Thanks to @oldboots @raisinwing @Humpa @Gsxrwayne and @bmichelle for joining in with the antics.
Aynsley China, Portland Works - Longton
The Portland Works was constructed in 1861 along Sutherland Road in Longton eventually becoming one of four Aynsley works in the area.
Some Aynsley vases on the factory floor in front of four electric kilns – the doors presumably sold for scrap at some point since closure
Tams, Crown Works - Longton
Build in 1841 and occupied by John Tams from 1875 until 2006. The offices look fantastic from the road – unfortunately heavily modernised and absolutely battered inside
2 Bricesco kilns on the shop floor
Midwinter - Burslem
Constructed in 1880 along Bournes Bank in Burlsem lie the remains of the former Midwinter Pottery. W.R Midwinter Ltd took over the works in 1910. I am unsure who the buildings were originally constructed for. Answers on a postcard please!
Nothing original left sadly, besides two mountainous piles of smashed china sticking out of the flooded basement.
Royal Doulton, Testing Labs - Burslem
The last remaining part of the former Royal Doulton Nile Street Works in Burslem are the factory shop & ‘central testing laboratory’. Production ceased in Burlsem in 2005 and moved abroad. The rest of the site has long since been demolished and redevelopment seems imminent.
Sample moulds in a cupboard – Beswick being a Doulton brand between 1969 and 2002
A particularly derped office next to the main workshop
Wade Ceramics, Hilltop Works - Burslem
The former Wade Ceramics site in Burslem, also known as the ‘Hilltop’ works was originally built in 1811 and occupied by John & Richard Riley. It was used by Wades from 1954 until construction of a new works in Etruria was completed in 2010.
Wade produce ceramic flagons for the Chivas Royal Salute line of whiskey. This blue bottle shaped thing is a plug which is used to produce the moulds themselves.
Shop floor & tunnel kiln
Another thing Wade produced are ‘whimsies’ which are these awful pot animal figures
Looking over the large site from an office window
Acme Marls - Burslem
All that remains of the Acme Marls site are these bottle ovens (plus one out of frame), which are the only examples of the updraft type kiln left standing. Marls produced kiln furniture used to stack ware inside a kiln ready for firing.
T.G Green – Church Gresley
TG Green operated from Church Gresley from 1864 to 2007, most famously producing Cornishware.
Top floor at Greens, rapidly succumbing to the sogginess
Despatch department
The ‘Diana’ bottle oven contains these stacks of saggars which were apparently part of a display
Cobalt blue powdered glaze and decorators brushes
Canteen
Berkshire China - Fenton
This building has had many uses during its life, latterly as a furniture sales wholesaler but originally a bakery set up by H.P Emburey Bakers. It has been home to several small potters and wholesalers during the late 90’s and early 00’s such as Berkshire China, Brian Wood Ceramics, Staffordshire China and Best China.
Transfers for mugs
Lord Nelson - Hanley
Lord Nelson was founded by Elijah Cotton and the factory was constructed in 1885 on the site of an even older works. The site was mainly cleared a couple of years ago and the few remaining buildings alongside the Trent & Mersey canal were last used by Milton China.
A potters’ wheel in the basement
Bombsite
Some intact tiles and china unearthed after rummaging in an outbuilding
CONTINUTED...
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