Bretby Art Pottery, more properly known as Tooth & Co. Ltd., was started in 1883 by Henry Tooth and William Ault. Ault left after four years to set up his own pottery at Swadlincote.
The company produced both inexpensive pressed wares and more costly thrown art pottery. Bretby stayed in the hands of the Tooth family until 1933, and after the second World War became known as Tooth and Company Limited Bretby Art Pottery.
Marks include the familiar rising sun over the name BRETBY, a stylized HT for Henry Tooth, and the brand names Clanta and Clanta Ware
With the works demolished years ago, and only a tired looking office building surviving (thankfully spared from demo for some reason) I was dubious as I stopped the car. Amazingly, this is another one of those sites where I was unexpectedly blown away!
The admin had been mind-numbingly lavish. The central room boasted wood paneling (in actual fact it was wood with ceramic decorations) ornate plaster ceiling, finished with painted canvas, and amazing ceramic shelf brackets, fashioned as a floral display. Sadly, someone has been raping the place for all it is worth, and some of the brackets, fireplaces and other decorative fixtures.
The cellar was amazing too. It was still filled with oak barrels, filled with glaze colouring. One is filled with the largest copper sulphate crystals I have ever seen! Old bicycles, tiles, pots and god knows what is packed to the rafters!
All in all, a great little find. One can only imagine how good the works would have been in it's day.
This was called the "W W Preventer"... 'waste water'?!
My boot after I emerged from the cellar
The company produced both inexpensive pressed wares and more costly thrown art pottery. Bretby stayed in the hands of the Tooth family until 1933, and after the second World War became known as Tooth and Company Limited Bretby Art Pottery.
Marks include the familiar rising sun over the name BRETBY, a stylized HT for Henry Tooth, and the brand names Clanta and Clanta Ware
With the works demolished years ago, and only a tired looking office building surviving (thankfully spared from demo for some reason) I was dubious as I stopped the car. Amazingly, this is another one of those sites where I was unexpectedly blown away!
The admin had been mind-numbingly lavish. The central room boasted wood paneling (in actual fact it was wood with ceramic decorations) ornate plaster ceiling, finished with painted canvas, and amazing ceramic shelf brackets, fashioned as a floral display. Sadly, someone has been raping the place for all it is worth, and some of the brackets, fireplaces and other decorative fixtures.
The cellar was amazing too. It was still filled with oak barrels, filled with glaze colouring. One is filled with the largest copper sulphate crystals I have ever seen! Old bicycles, tiles, pots and god knows what is packed to the rafters!
All in all, a great little find. One can only imagine how good the works would have been in it's day.
This was called the "W W Preventer"... 'waste water'?!
My boot after I emerged from the cellar
