The Klondyke Works of Bretby Brick & Stoneware Co were built in 1899 in the village of Newhall in South Derbyshire, only a few minutes from a cluster of other historic pottery works in Swadlincote such as TG Green, Tooth & Co, Sharpes and Mason Cash. From 1936 onward Bretby Stoneware’s pottery featured a mark on the underside with ‘Burton’ or ‘Burton Ware’ as until the early 1990’s Newhall was actually part of Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire, not Derbyshire as it is now. After producing bricks, art-pottery and ceramic toiletware, the company seemed to focus on stoneware bowls for pets in its latter years and the works were finally closed in 1995.
I remember clocking this place years ago, but it was only recently while I was looking through Google images at pictures of bottle ovens (sad!) I remembered it and thought I’d take a look.
Solo visit on a roasting hot afternoon in September and then a revisit to get caked in clay with @raisinwing and @Humpa
Bottle oven looked in reasonable shape from the outside
The ground floor of the older part of the works featured quite a bit of old machinery that wouldn't have looked out of place in somewhere like Gladstone Pottery Museum
Belt drive system - probably something to do with slip casting
Upper floor of the Victorian bit - mostly piles of old moulds
An old pottery smock hanging over a work bench
The corner of this part of the works was full of finished product which have either toppled over on their own during the past 24 years or been given a helping hand
Over in another part of the pottery featured lots of benches and more moulds
An old potters wheel set into the side
Down in the depths - a room full of glazed & boxed product, all soggy now
A pair of electric kilns in one of the newer parts - the right hand one still stacked with kiln furniture
And finally back outside. Some bowls have managed to 'escape' and work their way partly up the clay bank
Thanks for looking.
I remember clocking this place years ago, but it was only recently while I was looking through Google images at pictures of bottle ovens (sad!) I remembered it and thought I’d take a look.
Solo visit on a roasting hot afternoon in September and then a revisit to get caked in clay with @raisinwing and @Humpa
Bottle oven looked in reasonable shape from the outside
The ground floor of the older part of the works featured quite a bit of old machinery that wouldn't have looked out of place in somewhere like Gladstone Pottery Museum
Belt drive system - probably something to do with slip casting
Upper floor of the Victorian bit - mostly piles of old moulds
An old pottery smock hanging over a work bench
The corner of this part of the works was full of finished product which have either toppled over on their own during the past 24 years or been given a helping hand
Over in another part of the pottery featured lots of benches and more moulds
An old potters wheel set into the side
Down in the depths - a room full of glazed & boxed product, all soggy now
A pair of electric kilns in one of the newer parts - the right hand one still stacked with kiln furniture
And finally back outside. Some bowls have managed to 'escape' and work their way partly up the clay bank
Thanks for looking.
