Red House Cone facts for kids
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The Red House Cone is a very tall, cone-shaped brick building in Wordsley, West Midlands. It stands next to the Stourbridge Canal bridge. This special building is about 27 meters (90 feet) high and 18 meters (60 feet) wide at its base. It was once used to make glass.
The Red House Cone is one of only four complete glass cones left in the whole United Kingdom. It is now a museum run by Dudley Council. You can visit it to learn about glassmaking.
What is a Glass Cone?
A glass cone is a huge, cone-shaped chimney. Inside, there was a furnace where glass was melted at very high temperatures. The cone shape helped to create a strong draft, pulling the smoke and heat up and away. This kept the air clean for the workers and helped the furnace burn hotter.
A Look Back in Time
The land where the Red House Cone stands was bought in 1788 by a rich glassmaker named Richard Bradley. He built the cone with his brother-in-law, George Ensell. They used it to make window glass.
George Ensell added a special moving machine called a "lehr" inside the cone. A lehr is like a long oven where glass cools down slowly. This slow cooling stops the glass from cracking. The lehr at the Red House Cone is the only one of its kind still existing in the world!
The Red House Cone was used by a company called Stuart Crystal until 1936. After that, the company moved to a new place.
The Cone Today
Today, the Red House Cone is a very important historical building. It was given "Grade II* listed building status" in 1966. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected because of its history and design.
In 2022, Dudley Council promised £1.5 million to help fix up and restore the cone. This will help keep it safe for many more years.
What You Can See and Do
The Red House Cone site is not just a museum. It's also home to many creative businesses. You can find ten different shops and studios there. These include:
- Glass artists who make beautiful glass items.
- Pottery makers.
- Jewelry designers.
- Textile artists.
- Fine art creators.
You can often watch demonstrations of glass blowing, where artists shape hot glass into amazing forms. There's also a coffee house and a gift shop where you can buy unique items.
