Middleport Pottery facts for kids

Middleport Pottery, entry (2014)

Middleport Pottery is a historic factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It was built in 1888 by William Leigh and Frederick Rathbone Burgess, who founded Burgess & Leigh Ltd. This amazing place still makes pottery today! The buildings are very old and important, so they are protected. Middleport Pottery is now looked after by an organization called Re-Form Heritage.

The Story of Middleport Pottery

Middleport Pottery was designed to be a "model pottery." This means it was a great example of how a pottery factory should be built. It was very different from older, more crowded factories like the Gladstone Pottery Museum.

The factory was planned to make everything work better. It also aimed to create a nicer place for the workers. The paths between the buildings were wide enough for carts. This made it easy to move pottery and for workers to get around.

Once the pottery was finished, a crane would lift it. The pottery was then placed onto barges on the Trent and Mersey Canal. These barges would carry the ceramics to the coast. From there, they could be sent all over the world! Pottery could also be sent out by horse and cart on the road.

A big steam engine called the Boulton engine powered the machines. It mixed the clay for the pottery. This engine worked until the 1970s! A large boiler fed the engine with steam. It also provided steam to heat and dry the pottery.

Many famous designers worked at Middleport Pottery. Charlotte Rhead created beautiful designs there from 1926 to 1931. David Copeland worked at the pottery in the 1960s. He brought new, modern designs. But he still used old skills like copperplate engraving.

Saving a Piece of History

In the 1970s, Middleport Pottery became a listed building. This means it was recognized as an important historic place. At that time, six of the seven tall "bottle ovens" at the factory had been taken down. Only one bottle oven was left, and it was also protected.

In 1988, the part of the Trent and Mersey Canal that goes through Stoke-on-Trent became a special conservation area.

Buildings at Risk

By 2010, many old factories in the area were falling apart. This was because traditional industries were closing down. English Heritage put the canal area on a "Conservation Areas at Risk" list. A report in 2011 said that Middleport Pottery was one of these buildings at risk. It needed help!

A New Beginning: Re-Forming Middleport

In 2010, a company called Denby Holdings Limited bought the pottery. They own the well-known Denby Pottery.

But in 2011, Middleport Pottery was in very bad shape. It was at risk of closing down completely. This would have meant losing jobs and important historic buildings. Luckily, Re-Form Heritage stepped in to buy and save the buildings. They started a huge project that cost £9 million to fix everything up!

After Re-Form Heritage bought the site, Denby Pottery continued to work there. They rented space in the factory. The famous Burleigh Pottery has been made at this site without stopping since 1889.

The company Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios led the restoration work. They also created many training and education programs. These programs helped local people learn traditional British craftsmanship skills. After three years of hard work, Middleport Pottery opened to the public in July 2014. It became a visitor center!

The restoration helped Burleigh Pottery stay at the factory. This saved many local jobs and important craft skills. In total, 50 local jobs were saved, and 70 new ones were created. Old, unused buildings were turned into new spaces. These now include workshops, business areas, craft and community spaces, a café, a gallery, and a heritage visitor center.

Middleport Pottery Today

Since its big renovation, Middleport Pottery has welcomed many visitors. More and more people come to see it each year. Several businesses now have their homes at the site. Burleigh Pottery is still made there using traditional methods.

The Old Packing House was fixed up. It is now called the Prince of Wales Studios. This is a place where craftspeople can work and show their products. The Princes Regeneration Trust gave £200,000 to help with this project. Prince Charles (who was the Prince of Wales at the time) helped open the Studios in January 2016.

Since opening as a visitor spot, the pottery has won eight awards! These include awards for great architecture and for saving heritage.

Middleport Pottery has also been a filming location. It was used for four seasons of the TV show The Great Pottery Throw Down. It was also recently seen in an episode of Peaky Blinders.