Hill Potteries, Burslem

This factory is one of the largest and best conducted in the Potteries. The recent building, comprising the show and ware-rooms, painting, and burnishing rooms, with offices, &c. is of an elegant design ; the rooms are very lofty , spacious, well ventilated, and healthy ; most of the workshops in other parts are of a similar kind with others.

The Hill Pottery of 1839 was designed by Thomas Stanley, a Shelton architect, who also designed St.John's Church and school in Goldenhill and St. Thomas's church in Mow Cop.

The street range of the works had the by now traditional Venetian window and pediment over. There, however, the similarities ended; the façade being far more ornate than those of any of its predecessors, the decoration was designed to focus attention on the near central entrance bay. This emphasis was provided by an unusually elaborate entrance, surmounted by a tall Venetian stair window, pediment and cupola with flag pole. The entrance was flanked by pairs of fluted Ionic columns which supported the projecting ends of the first floor balcony.

The entrance itself took the form of a tripartite opening, echoing the Venetian window above. In contrast, the treatment of the bays to either side of the entrance was relatively restrained, ornamentation being restricted to the chamfered stone voussoirs of the ground and second-floor windows, and the hood moulds of the first-floor windows.

from: Potworks, the Industrial Architecture of the Staffordshire Potteries.

From	To	Occupier	Comments
		Ralph Wood
1828	1859	Samuel Alcock & Co	The works were used by J & R Riley (working period 1802-28), John Robinson & Sons and William Taylor. Rebuilt & enlarged in 1839
1860	1863	Sir James Duke & Nephews	produced white & cream coloured earthenware services, china and Etruscan ware.
1863		Thomas Ford
1864	1867	Earthenware and Porcelain Company	under the management of Richard Daniel (once a noted china manufacturer at Stoke, Hanley & Burslem) it was carried on under the style of the Hill Pottery Company Ltd., late S. Alcock & Co. In 1867 the Hill Pottery Co was put into liquidation and the property once again came into the hands of Thomas Ford.
1867		Thomas Ford	In 1867 the works were divided into china and earthenware.
1867		Alcock & Diggory	took the china department,
1867	1899	Burgess & Leigh	In 1867 took the earthenware department and then in 1899 continued at Middleport Pottery.

From	To	Occupier	Comments
1867	1870	Alcock, Diggory & Co	On the division of the Hill Pottery Company manufactory in 1867, part was carried on by Alcock, Diggory & Co.
1870	1871	Bodley & Diggory
1871	1874	Edward F Bodley	Mr Diggory having retired in 1871.
1874	1875	Bodley & Son	Edwin F Bodley served as Mayor of Hanley in 1872-3. He retired and his son Edwin James Drew Bodley carried on.
1875	1892	Edwin J D Bodley	From 1875 to October 31, 1888, he had William Telford as a partner, but this is not reflected in the trade style E.J.D. Bodley. In 1892 Edwin James Drew Bodley was declared bankrupt.
1895	1897	Messrs. A Heath & Co.