Staffordshire Potteries
Encyclopedia
The Staffordshire Potteries is a generic term for the industrial area encompassing the six towns (Tunstall
, Burslem
, Hanley, Stoke
, Fenton
and Longton
) that now make up Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire
, England
.
The Staffordshire Potteries became a centre of ceramic
production in the 17th century due to the local availability of clay, salt, lead and coal. Hundreds of companies produced decorative or industrial ceramic
items. With railway distribution of pottery products in the second half of the 19th century, there was a considerable increase in business.
Potteries active in the 19th century and still active today include Aynsley
, Burleigh, Doulton
, Dudson
, Heron Cross, Minton, Moorcroft
, Twyford
, and Wedgwood
.
Tunstall, Staffordshire
Tunstall is an area in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It was one of the original six towns that federated to form the city. Tunstall is the most northern town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent....
, Burslem
Burslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
, Hanley, Stoke
Stoke-upon-Trent
Stoke-upon-Trent, commonly called Stoke or Stoke town, is a component town of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, England....
, Fenton
Fenton, Staffordshire
Fenton is one of the six towns of the Stoke-on-Trent conurbation which were federated in 1910. It is situated in the south-east of the city. Arnold Bennett called his fictionalised version of Stoke on Trent the "Five Towns", and Fenton has been dubbed the town Arnold Bennett...
and Longton
Longton, Staffordshire
Longton is a southern district of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and is known locally as the "Neck End" of the city. Longton is one of the six towns of "the Potteries" which formed the City of Stoke-on-Trent in 1925.-History:...
) that now make up Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Staffordshire Potteries became a centre of ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
production in the 17th century due to the local availability of clay, salt, lead and coal. Hundreds of companies produced decorative or industrial ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
items. With railway distribution of pottery products in the second half of the 19th century, there was a considerable increase in business.
Potteries active in the 19th century and still active today include Aynsley
Aynsley China
Aynsley China Ltd. is a British manufacturer of bone china tableware, giftware and commemorative items. The company was founded in 1775 by John Aynsley in Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire. In 1861 his grandson John Aynsley built the historic Portland Works on Sutherland Road, Longton. The company...
, Burleigh, Doulton
Royal Doulton
The Royal Doulton Company is an English company producing tableware and collectables, dating to 1815. Operating originally in London, its reputation grew in The Potteries, where it was a latecomer compared to Spode, Wedgwood and Minton...
, Dudson
Dudson
Dudson is a British company that sells fine china. It is one of the oldest companies in the world, founded in 1800. It is based in the traditional "Potteries" town of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire....
, Heron Cross, Minton, Moorcroft
Moorcroft
Moorcroft is a British pottery manufacturer based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, which was founded by William Moorcroft.-History:...
, Twyford
Twyford Bathrooms
Twyford Bathrooms is a manufacturer of bathroom fixtures based in Alsager, Cheshire, England.-History:Thomas Twyford and his son Thomas William Twyford established what we now know as Twyford Bathrooms in 1849 in Bath Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. The worldwide demands for new sanitaryware soon...
, and Wedgwood
Wedgwood
Wedgwood, strictly speaking Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a pottery firm owned by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity company based in New York City, USA. Wedgwood was founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an...
.