Burgess & Leigh, Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent

Move your pointing device over the image to zoom to detail. If using a mouse click on the image to toggle zoom.
When in zoom mode use + or - keys to adjust level of image zoom.

Date:April 1964

Description:Burgess & Leigh built the Middleport Pottery alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal in 1888-89 and it is the only complete working Victorian pottery left in Stoke-on-Trent (2o18). Traditional pottery works tended to grow piecemeal with workshops and warehouses clustered haphazardly around bottle kilns. Middleport is an example of a model factory with a "linear organised production line" of raw materials through to finished product. The factory is a working pottery: handmade Burleigh tableware, teaware and homeware is produced for sale.

The photograph shows the canal side warehouse and clay wharf. In the centre are two workers loading the conveyor belt to carry the clay into the warehouse.

The brick and terracotta factory and updraught bottle oven are grade II* listed buildings. The United Kingdom Historic Building Preservation Trust, a subsidiary of the Prince's Trust acquired Middleport Pottery in July 2011. The Trust is investing in the regeneration of the site and works. Immediately next door is the Anderton Canal Company wharf.

View Location

Share:

Link to this resource

Creators: Mr Bert Bentley - Creator

Image courtesy of: Stoke on Trent City Archives.

Donor ref:SD1480/123-18 (204/35710)

Copyright information: Copyrights to all resources are retained by the individual rights holders. They have kindly made their collections available for non-commercial private study & educational use. Re-distribution of resources in any form is only permitted subject to strict adherence to the usage guidelines.