Longton, Staffordshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Longton
Federated Town and District
Top: Longton Gladstone Pottery Museum Upper: Railway Bridge with the Crown Hotel and the Strand Lower: St James' Church and Old Town Hall Bottom: Market Hall and the Roslyn Works
Longton
Population	27,214
OS grid reference	SJ911433
Unitary authority	Stoke-on-Trent
Ceremonial county	Staffordshire
Region	West Midlands
Post town	STOKE-ON-TRENT
Postcode district	ST3
Dialling code	01782
Police
Fire
Ambulance
UK Parliament	Stoke-on-Trent South
List of places United Kingdom 52°59′16″N 2°07′58″W / 52.9877°N 2.1327°W / 52.9877; -2.1327

Longton is one of six towns that joined together to create the city of Stoke-on-Trent in 1910. It's located in Staffordshire, England. The other towns were Hanley, Tunstall, Fenton, Burslem, and Stoke-upon-Trent.

Longton's Past

The girder bridge near Longton railway station

Aynsley Pottery building

Longton means 'long village'. It was once a market town within the larger parish of Stoke. Today, you can still visit its market, which is located in a beautifully restored market hall.

In March 1865, Longton became its own official borough. However, on April 1, 1910, it joined with the other towns to form the county borough of Stoke-on-Trent. In 1925, the area was given the special title of 'city status'.

One important building from Longton's time as an independent borough is the Longton Town Hall. It's a well-known landmark in the town centre. In 1986, there were plans to knock down the Town Hall. But many local people protested, and the building was saved.

Arnold Bennett, a famous author, wrote novels about the Potteries towns. He called Longton Longshaw in his books.

Local Industries

Longton has a long history with the pottery industry. Companies like Paragon China and Aynsley were based here. Some major pottery makers still operate in the area. You can also visit the Gladstone Pottery Museum to learn about this history. Next to the museum, the Roslyn Works is now home to smaller pottery businesses.

Florence Colliery was a coal mine that opened in the 1800s. It was connected underground to another mine called Hem Heath. This mine closed in the 1990s.

Belstaff Clothing

Belstaff is a clothing company that started in Longton in 1924. It was founded by Eli Belovitch and Harry Grosberg. Belstaff is famous for making strong, waterproof jackets, especially for motorcyclists. It was one of the first companies to use waxed cotton fabric.

Important Landmarks

Public Buildings to See

Longton Town Hall was finished in 1844. It was the main government building for Longton until 1910. In 1986, it was almost demolished, but local protests helped save it.

Historic Industrial Buildings

A bottle oven at Minkstone Works, Longton

There are fewer than 50 old bottle ovens left in the city of Stoke-on-Trent. These special kilns were used to fire pottery. Many of the remaining bottle ovens are in Longton, especially around the Gladstone Pottery Museum. These ovens are important historical structures and are promoted as a tourist attraction.

Getting Around Longton

In 1997, a new part of the A50 was opened. This road now goes through Longton in a special cut-out section. This helped traffic flow better around the town.

The A50 road near the Sutherland Institute, Longton's library

Longton has a train station on the Crewe–Derby line. It first opened in 1848. A new bus station was built next to the train station in 2003.

The girder bridge next to Longton railway station

Learning in Longton

Local secondary schools include St Thomas More Catholic Academy and Stoke Studio College.

Longton was one of the first places to host special classes from the Workers' Educational Association. A famous teacher named R. H. Tawney taught these classes for three years, starting in 1908.

Fun and Entertainment

Jollees Cabaret Club was a very popular place for entertainment in the 1970s. Many big stars performed there. In the early 1990s, Shelley's Laserdome became a well-known place for rave music events. However, it had to close in 1992.

Famous People from Longton

• Sir John Edensor Heathcote (c.1757–1822) - An industrialist who owned Longton Hall.
• John Aynsley (1823–1907) - A potter who started the Portland Works in Longton.
• Percy Shelley (1860-1937) - Born in Longton, he was key in developing Shelley Potteries.
• Ernest Albert Egerton (1897–1966) - An English soldier who received the Victoria Cross.
• William Thomas Astbury (1898–1961) - A physicist who studied biological molecules using X-rays.
• Charles Tomlinson (1927–2015) - An English poet who went to Longton High School.
• Freddie Jones (1927–2019) - An actor known for many film and TV roles.

Sports Stars

• William (Billy) Weston (1847-1935) - A billiards player who moved from Longton to Australasia.
• George Arthur Gallimore (1886–1949) - A professional footballer who played for Stoke City F.C..
• Henry "Harry" Colclough (1888–1955) - An international footballer who played for Crystal Palace F.C..
• William Wootton (1904–2000) - An English footballer who played for Port Vale F.C..
• Philip Adrian "Phil" Heath (born 1964) - A former professional English footballer.

Interesting Facts

• Longton is the birthplace of Alan Povey's character, Owd Grandad Piggott.
• Neil Morris, a folk singer and songwriter, now lives near Longton.

Images for kids

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  Sutherland Institute, Longton. Completed in 1898 on land donated by the Duke of Sutherland.

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  Potters' work is shown in the terracotta frieze above the Sutherland Institute entrance.

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  Gladstone Pottery Museum

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  Longton Park

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  St James' Church, Longton