Pottery on display inside the old offices at Burleigh Middleport pottery factory Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire England UK
In June 2011, The Prince's Regeneration Trust stepped in to save the Victorian pottery site from closure and to ensure Burleigh stays in Burslem. The historic site was constructed in 1888 for a well-known local ceramics company, Burgess & Leigh Limited, nestled in the heart of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, the world-renowned centre of ceramics. The Grade II* listed site is a red-brick maze, containing historic machinery, archives and collections in every corner. Middleport Pottery produces beautiful Burleigh pottery – each piece is touched by 25 pairs of hands. The production process is extensive, careful and the skills used are extremely rare. Many of the workforce have been there for decades; often their families worked in ceramics, passing down local craftsmanship through the generations. A few years ago, the site was at serious risk of closure, the historic fabric was in a state of disrepair and it seemed Burleigh might move out of Burslem, losing a precious piece of British industry. Much-needed local jobs would have been lost, buildings possibly abandoned and Stoke-on-Trent suffering another huge blow to its proud industrial heritage. A private and public funding package was put together that allowed us to acquire the site and embark on an ambitious restoration and regeneration project. The restoration has meant that Burleigh has remained on-site, saving local jobs and craftsmanship. The unused buildings have been developed to provide attractive accommodation for workshops, enterprise space, craft and community areas, a cafe, a gallery and a heritage visitor centre. The new visitor experience at Middleport Pottery includes tours of the Burleigh factory, where visitors can see the handcraft techniques that have been used there since the 1800s. Visitors can also step inside the industrial bottle kiln, which has sights and sounds from the Pottery's past, and can see visitors can see the handcraft techniques that have been used there since the 1800s.
Size: 2267px × 2950px
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © John Keates / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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