No 15 -  Burslem 
Chelsea Works

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'We love you Chelsea, we do' 

“We love you Chelsea, we do” is something that you would expect to hear down at Stamford Bridge, not something that you would associate with the Potteries. But one of the Mother Town’s few remaining potworks still in operation is Chelsea Works on Moorland Road, home of the excellent Moorland Pottery.

Chelsea Works dates from around 1890, and is a very simple, brick and tile range of eight bays, with an archway that leads to a cobbled courtyard, which is home to one of the city’s few remaining bottle kilns.

Bottle Kiln at Chelsea Works © Moorland Pottery

Chelsea Works has had a number of occupiers over the years, the most prominent of which have been Susie Cooper, Royal Doulton, Studio Szeiler, and current owners, Moorland Pottery.

Suisie Cooper 

Susie Cooper was one of the giants of the Potteries, producing some of the most impressive designs in the history of the ceramics industry.

Susie was born in 1902 to a farming family and was the youngest of seven children. She was very artistic as a child, and eventually enrolled at the Burslem School of Art where she won a full time scholarship and studied under Frederick Forsyth (the School of Art Principal, not the crap writer). 

On leaving the School of Art, she went on to work for A.E.Gray in Hanley, and there her designs were so impressive, ware that she worked upon were to bear her name, with Gray developing a ‘Susie Cooper’ backstamp.

In 1929, Susie went on to launch her own company, despite the grim economic conditions at the time, and moved into Chelsea Works in 1930, where she bought in earthenware which were decorated with her own designs. Her stay at Chelsea Works was to be a short one. Her work was showcased at the British Industries Fair in 1931, and her Art Deco influenced designs were so popular that one of her suppliers Harry Wood offered her dedicated space at his Crown Works site, also in Burslem. 

Susie’s profile was raised further at the 1933 British Industries Fair when the Duchess of York bought some of her wares on the back of a very successful marketing campaign bearing the legend, “no home is complete without Susie Cooper pottery”.

A classic Susie Cooper coffee set

The quality of her designs were honoured in 1940 when the Royal Society of Arts awarded her the accolade of ‘Royal Designer for Industry’, the first time that the award had been made solely for pottery design.

World War II caused problems for many industries, with non-essential work halted to support the war effort, but Susie’s work was hampered further following a blaze at the Crown Works in 1942, and she came very close to calling it a day completely. However, her husband Cecil Barker persuaded her to recommence production, and indeed joined her business, which he helped to kickstart. Having overcome difficulties sourcing raw materials, they moved the production business to Jason Works in Longton which Barker transformed into a model potworks, with the decoration arm of the business continuing in the Mother Town.

Accolades continued to flood in for Susie. In 1951, her designs were chosen for the Royal Pavilion at the Festival of Britain, as well as being displayed in other areas of the Festival, and the Royal Society of Arts selected a Susie Cooper design for its own china.

By 1966, Susie Cooper Pottery merged with Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, though the Crown Works factory remained autonomous until 1980. In 1979 she was awarded the OBE, and she continued to work from a studio at William Adams in Tunstall, despite being in her late 70s. Susie passed away in 1995 on the Isle of Man, but has left behind a huge legacy.

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Part of the Susie Cooper legacy can be felt today at her former factory, the Chelsea Works. Current occupiers Moorland Pottery have been there since 1986, and are not far away from becoming the site’s longest occupants.

Moorland Pottery is a thriving small business, driven by Jon Plant, and amongst the excellent wares they produce is their ‘Art Deco Ware’ range, which is a clear homage to the work of their predecessor at Chelsea Work.

‘Every day is Oatcake Day’ © Moorland Pottery

Moorland Pottery’s most popular ware is their excellent range of regional productions, such as the ‘Stokie Ware’, ‘Scouser Ware’, and ‘Geordie Ware’.

‘Every day is Oatcake Day’ © Moorland Pottery

10” Liverpool Plate © Moorland Pottery

Jon and his team have been great been great custodians of Chelsea Works, and have carried out a programme of restoration works to the main building, and also the bottle kiln in partnership with the Potteries Preservation Trust. 

They also acquired and carried out an excellent renovation project next door to Chelsea Work, giving the former Stipendiary Commissioners building a major facelift for their project, ‘The Court House’.

'The Court House'
Magistrates Office, Moorland Road, Burslem
Staffordshire Potteries Stipendiary Commission, Magistrates Office. 
Next to Chelsea Pottery, which retains one of the few remaining bottle ovens

photo: Chris Allen
Creative Commons Licence

Alongside the likes of Burslem Pottery, Emma Bridgewater, and Portmeirion, Moorland Pottery are a force for quality design in the ceramics industry, and keep the Susie Cooper flame alive. They are also keeping the Chelsea Works alive. Long may it continue

Dave Proudlove - November 2013