Etruria Industrial Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1991 |
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| Location | Lower Bedford Street Etruria, Staffordshire, England |
| Type | Industry |
The Etruria Industrial Museum is a cool place in Etruria, Staffordshire, England. It's a really old factory from the 1800s that used steam power. This factory made materials for the local pottery industry. You can find it right between two canals: the Trent and Mersey Canal and the Caldon Canal's special staircase locks. The museum building itself is very old and important, called a Grade II* listed building. It used to be a mill that ground bone and flint.
Contents
A Look Back: The Mill's Story
This mill was built in 1857. It was used to grind bone and flint. These materials were super important for making pottery nearby. A family ran this business for a long time, all the way until 1975. It made sense to build a mill like this next to a canal. Another example is the Cheddleton Flint Mill on the Caldon Canal.
Bringing the Mill Back to Life
In the 1970s, the mill became an official heritage site. This meant it was protected because it was so important. A big project to fix it up started in 1978. The museum finally opened in 1991. A famous TV personality named Fred Dibnah helped open it.
When you visit, you can see how the mill worked. There are displays about its history and the amazing machines. The museum has a working steam engine called "Princess." This engine is very old, from the 1820s! It was already used when the mill was built. There's also a working blacksmith's forge. More work was done in the 1980s to make the area around the mill look great. This was for a big event called the Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival.
What's Happening at the Museum Now
Today, volunteers help run the museum. They are part of the Shirley's Bone and Flint Mill Volunteer group. The museum is also part of the Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Museum Service. It's not open every day, so check their website to see when you can visit.
On special days, a coal-fired boiler from 1903 makes steam. This steam powers "Princess," the old engine. "Princess" then turns the big grinding machinery. In 2015, the volunteers bought the mill. They still let the Stoke-on-Trent City Council use it. This means the Etruria Industrial Museum will keep going strong!
The Area Around the Museum
The Trent and Mersey Canal flows through the city. The area around the canal is a special Conservation Area. The Etruria section, where the mill is, is very important for local history. Right next to the museum, you'll find other cool historic spots:
- The staircase locks of the Caldon Canal. Many people on narrowboat holidays work hard to go up these locks to visit Leek.
- A wide, grassy area with trees. This marks where the first gas-holder for the city was. It gave heat and light to people.
- The site of the Old Dispensary and House of Recovery. This was the city's very first hospital.
It's a bit tricky for cars to get around here because of weight limits on the canal bridges. This means there isn't much traffic. The big, park-like area around the mill is a nice place for people who live in Etruria. The Etruria Canals Festival usually happens here every year. It's on the first weekend in June.
See also
