Nothing set the Potteries sky-line apart more than the weird bottle shaped brick buildings that looked for all the world like they had been borrowed from a fairytale scene. Bottle kilns, also known as bottle ovens, were used in the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry from the 18th century until the mid-20th century. Primarily used for firing ceramics, but also in other processes such as calcining raw materials.

At their peak, in the 1930s and just before the World War II, just over 2100 bottle ovens and kilns existed in the six towns of the Potteries.

In 1951 there were 600-700 and by 1960 there were 157 

In 2025, just 47 structures stand complete with their bottle-shaped chimney. 3 more are in a partial state. 50 in total.

The Clean Air Act and improvements in gas and electric fired kilns sounded the death-knell for the smoky, coal fired oven.

For a comprehensive summary of the bottle kilns of Stoke-on-Trent see: The Potteries Bottle Oven 
 

Bottle and calcining kilns still standing in the six towns
(as at Feb 2008)

| Burslem | Hanley | Stoke | Fenton | Longton |

Tunstall:
Unfortunately there are no remaining examples of bottle kilns in Tunstall.

at Burslem:

photo: Steve Birks - Feb 2008

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

1	experimental muffle kiln with circular hovel at Moorland Pottery Works, Burslem.

photo: Steve Birks - Jan 2000

1	kiln at the Moorcroft works, Sandbach Road, Cobridge, Burslem

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

photo: Chris Allen June 1989

1	square calcining kiln in Milvale Street, Middleport, Burslem - alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal.

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

photo: Steve Birks - 2001
 

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

at Hanley:

2	bottle Ovens at Johnson Brothers Pottery (Trent Pottery) - alongside the Cauldon canal.

photo: Linden Cooke - Nov 2002

photo: Steve Birks - Oct 1999

1	kiln enclosed in a range at Imperial Court, Lichfield Street, Hanley -  alongside the Cauldon canal.

photo: Steve Birks - Oct 1999

1	1906 bottle kiln at the Falcon Pottery of J H Weatherby, Old Town Road, Hanley.

photo: Steve Birks

1	enclosed bottle kiln at the Smithfield Pottery, now situated on The Potteries Way (ring road around Hanley).

photo: Steve Birks - April 2005

2	calcining kilns of 1887 in the Cliff Vale potteries of Twyfords, Shelton New Road - alongside the Trent and Mersey canal.

photo: 28dayslater.co.uk

at Stoke:

1	Kiln at the Dolby pottery, Lytton Street, Stoke - alongside the Trent and Mersey canal.

photo: Elleen Hallam - 1985

2	bottle ovens at the Falcon pottery works, Sturgess Street, Stoke.

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

at Fenton:

3	calcining ovens in the works occupied by James Kent (Ceramic Materials) Ltd  Formerly one of the Baker Pottery works, Fountain Street, Fenton

photo: Steve Birks

1	Kiln at Heron Cross Pottery range -  the oven protrudes through the building roof. Chilton Street, Fenton.

photo: Steve Birks

at Longton:

4	Kilns at the Enson works in Short Street, between Uttoxeter and Normacot Roads, Longton

photo: Espresso Addict  - Jan 2007

6	large bottle kilns seen from the rear of the Gladstone and Roslyn works, Uttoxeter Road, Longton

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

plus 1	small flint kiln at the front of the same works - now the Gladstone Museum, Longton.

photo: Eileen Hallam - 2004

2	bottle kilns at the Albion Works (rear of Phoenix Works) - King Street, Longton

photo: Alan Murray-Rust  - Sept 2007
 

2	bottle kilns in a range at the Commerce Street works, Longton

photo: Steve Birks - Jan 2001

 

1	bottle oven, corner of Warren St /  Normacot Road, Longton

photo: David Rayner - Feb 2003

 

1	Slender circular hovel to calcining oven, Uttoxeter Road (near the Enson works), Longton

photo: Chris Allen - June 1989

 

3	kilns at the rear of the Sutherland Works (Hudson & Middleton), Normacot Road, Longton

photo: Linden Cooke - Jan 2003

TOTAL: