Etruria - Stoke-on-Trent Districts

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Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Etruria - before Wedgwood

In the Fowlea Brook valley, between Newcastle-under-Lyme and Hanley was the Ridge House Estate, being in a valley it was suited as the route for the Trent & Mersey canal

"the land which was formerly known as 'The Ridge House Estate', were at that time outside the actual Potteries and in the beautifully wooded and pastured country on the road to Newcastle-under-Lyme, the ancient borough...."

Artes Etruriae Renascunter
(The Works of Etruria Resurrected)

Etruria Valley prior to 1840
This engraving was discovered in the rubble of the Etruria Pottery in 1963.
It depicts the rural Etruria Valley prior to 1840, showing clearly the Wedgwood Pottery Factory in the middle distance with Etruria Hall behind.

Ridge House Estate

The map above shows part of the Ridge House Estate bought by Josiah Wedgwood from Mrs Ashenhurst for £3000 in 1767.

The line of the new Trent and Mersey Canal has been drawn across the existing fields (which was not completed until 1777).

Below this the new factory is shown arranged around a series of courtyards next to the turnpike road to Newcastle-under-Lyme. On the other side of the canal in Stone pit field is the site of Etruria Hall (shown in red).

Shortly after this map was drawn Josiah Wedgwood purchased land on the other side of the turnpike road from Mr Egerton thus creating a compact estate of about 250 acres on the East side of the Fowlea Valley.

Etruria - after Wedgwood and Granville

a panoramic view of the Etruria Pottery and Shelton works in 1926
How the scene has changed in the 200 years from c.1775 to c.1925

to the left foreground is Wedgwood's Etruria Hall (by now used as the offices of Shelton Bar)
behind the Hall is the Wedgwood pottery works on the canal side
dominating the centre and right hand side of the picture is the iron and steel works

next: Josiah Wedgwood I (1730-1795)
previous: "Let us now praise famous men..."