Darkened turrets and bottle ovens of this working plant and museum present insights into countless factories that formed part of Staffordshire’s culture and landscape.
Bottle-shaped kilns and smoke-stained brick chimneys provide a Dickensian vision in the Gladstone Pottery Museum. Since the 18th century, coal-fired pottery has been produced in the bottle ovens of this working factory, which doubles as a museum about the history and processes of pottery, tile and ceramics production. Learn about Stroke-on-Trent’s proud pottery traditions and its role in Britain’s Industrial Revolution.
Enter the original workshops and review the displays about bone china tableware. Watch staff demonstrations to find out about the manufacturing procedures. The entire family can enjoy getting their hands dirty crafting and painting pots and other ceramics. Proudly take home your resulting artworks as souvenirs.
Visit the Gladstone China Works, billed as the country’s last complete Victorian pottery factory. The site is fairly typical, offering a window into the practices and environments of the hundreds of similar plants that once pockmarked the region.
Imagine the otherworldly townscape formed by additional bottle ovens alongside Stoke-on-Trent’s terraced housing in the 1800s. Today, the surviving kilns of the Gladstone Works form a brooding silhouette against the sky.
Bring your kids to some of the diverse events held in the museum on such themes as circus skills, pottery painting and superheroes. Hot and cold beverages, snacks and meals are available at the Gladstone Café, which overlooks the industrial courtyard. Assess the range of history books, pottery and other items in the Gladstone Shop.
Note that the site opens Tuesday through Saturday from morning until late afternoon. Pay an entrance fee to access the museum. Discounts are available for kids. An extra charge is incurred for most workshops.
The Longton district in the southeastern outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent is where you’ll find Gladstone Pottery Museum. Take a train to the Longton railway station and walk southeast for less than 10 minutes to reach the museum. Encounter nearby landmarks, such as the Commerce Street Works, the Enson Pottery Works and the Longton Parish Church St. James the Less.
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