Blakeney Pottery Ltd | Staffordshire

Earthenware manufacturer at Wolfe Street, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Originally specialising in reproductions of 19th century Staffordshire ware.

They advertised Staffordshire figures, flow blue and jardinières. In the mid-1980s they also produced ware in the art nouveau and art deco style.

Founded around 1968 by Michael and Sheila Bailey as Blakeney Art Pottery at South Wolfe Street, Stoke.
The business later traded as Blakeney Pottery Limited, but in December 1999 the company entered into a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation.

# Although a new company was established in 2000 it appears that there was little or no manufacturing and from around 2002/3 the company was dormant until it was dissolved on 19 November 2013.

Following the liquidation, a new company was formed. Pinnox Company Ltd was incorporated in February 2000, with Pauline Meakin as Company Secretary and James Grundy as Director. In May 2000 the company changed its name to Blakeney Pottery Ltd, and in August 2000 Bernard Meakin was appointed as a director. (Company number 03977698).
In 2000 the business relocated to Pinnox Street, Tunstall - the Blakeney name continued.

some ware didn't have any backstamp - they had a sticky label with the Blakeney name

Victorian Staffordshire flatbacks were popular decorative figures, often displayed on fireplace mantels. These figures were normally decorated only on the front, with a plain, flat, undecorated back intended to stand against a wall.

Blakeney Pottery produced reproductions inspired by these traditional Staffordshire figures, including the well-known spaniel designs. They reflect the later revival of interest in Victorian decorative pottery rather than being original 19th-century pieces.

Blakeney Pottery produced a range of attractive blue and white earthenware inspired by Victorian Staffordshire transfer-printed wares. Many pieces carried a traditional-style Royal Arms mark with the lion and unicorn and the wording “Victoria Ironstone”.

Although the backstamp deliberately reflected the appearance of 19th-century Staffordshire marks, Blakeney pieces normally include “England”, helping to identify them as later 20th-century revival ware rather than Victorian manufacture.

These wares should be regarded as nostalgic reproductions or historically inspired designs, produced for the decorative and collectors’ market, rather than attempts to deceive.

Sadler Supplied blank ware

James Sadler & Sons were prolific manufacturers of teapots and supplied undecorated blanks to Blakeney Pottery for decoration.

The ware generally carries a moulded ‘Sadler England’ mark, formed during the slip-casting process when the body of the teapot was produced.

Blakeney then decorated the pieces and applied their printed ‘Victoria Ironstone’ backstamp in addition to the original Sadler mark.

Blue & white teapot - made by Sadler, decorated by Blakeney

Sadler England

cast in mark

Victoria Ironstone
Staffordshire England

printed mark

Blakeney
Stoke-on-Trent
England

Blakeney name on sticky label

Victoria
Ironstone
Staffordshire
England

Blakeney Pottery backstamp

Victoria
Ironstone

Chinese manufacture backstamp

Collectors should be aware that later blue and white transfer-printed wares have appeared carrying a ‘Victoria Ironstone’ mark that closely resembles the Blakeney Pottery backstamp, including a traditional-style Royal Arms design with the lion and unicorn.

Unlike the Blakeney mark, these later versions generally do not include the words ‘Staffordshire’ or ‘England’. Some pieces may carry a removable ‘Made in China’ label, but many examples appear with no country of origin.

These wares are frequently offered for sale online and are often incorrectly described as antique Victorian ironstone.
They should not be confused with either genuine 19th-century Staffordshire ironstone or the later 20th-century Blakeney revival pieces.

» Identifying later 'Victoria Ironstone' reproductions

Page History:

Page created: 5 May 2018
Last updated: 8 July 2026 - Significant update. Details of dormant period added, sections on Art Pottery Ware, Reproduction 'Flatbacks', Victorian-style Reproductions and Chinese manufacture ‘Victoria Ironstone’ Marks added and expanded.