the local history of Stoke-on-Trent, England

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Did you know? - The Stoke-on-Trent skyline was once dominated by 1000's of smoky "bottle kilns" used for firing the pottery ware?

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Bottle Kilns


 

 

Bottle Kilns 
 
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. 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.

Experts calculate that in the heyday there were up to 4,000 bottle kilns with as many as 2,000 still standing in the 1950's. The Clean Air Act sounded the death-knell for the smoky, coal fired oven.

There are 47 still standing today - all are listed buildings
 

more on listed buildings

The Mersey Weaver Wharf - Burslem Branch Canal
 The Mersey Weaver Wharf - Burslem Branch Canal
note the amazing number of bottle ovens on the skyline
The skyline is the district known as Dale Hall - between Burslem and Longport

 
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Bottle Kilns

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:

3 bottle kilns at Acme Marls, Burslem

3   

bottle kilns at Acme Marls,
Woodbank Street, Burslem

photo: Steve Birks - Feb 2008

 

2 conical kilns at Furlong Lane, Middleport

   2    

 conical bottle kilns at
Furlong Lane, Middleport, Burslem

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

 

kiln at Moorland Pottery Works

1  

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

photo: Steve Birks - Jan 2000

 

kiln at the Moorcroft works

1  

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

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

 

arge bottle kiln at Price and Kensington

1  

large bottle kiln at Price and Kensington, National Teapot Works, Longport, Burslem

photo: Chris Allen June 1989

 

square calcining kiln in Milvale Street, Middleport

1  

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

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

 

calcining kilns, one square & one circular, Newport Lane

2  

calcining kilns, one square & one circular - on Newport Lane, Burslem - alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal. 

photo: Steve Birks - 2001
 

bottle kiln at the Middleport Potteries

1   

bottle kiln at the Middleport Potteries, Port Street, Middleport, Burslem  - alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal. 

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

 

at Hanley:

bottle Ovens at Johnson Brothers

2  

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

photo: Linden Cooke - Nov 2002

 

large Bottle Kiln at Dudson Pottery

1  

large Bottle Kiln at Dudson Pottery, Hope Street,  Hanley
Now open as part of a museum.

photo: Steve Birks - Oct 1999

kiln enclosed in a range at Imperial Court, Hanley

1  

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

photo: Steve Birks - Oct 1999

 

1906 bottle kiln at the Falcon Pottery

1  

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

photo: Steve Birks

 

enclosed bottle kiln at the Smithfield Pottery

1  

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

photo: Steve Birks - April 2005

 

calcining kilns of 1887 in the Cliff Vale Potteries of Twyfords

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:

Kiln at the Dolby pottery, Lytton Street, Stoke

1  

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

photo: Elleen Hallam - 1985

 

bottle ovens at the Falcon pottery, Sturgess Street, Stoke

2  

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

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

at Fenton:

calcining ovens in the works occupied by James Kent

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


 

Kiln at Heron Cross Pottery range

1  

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

photo: Steve Birks

at Longton:

Kilns at the Enson works in Short Street, Longton

4  

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

photo: Espresso Addict  - Jan 2007

 

large bottle kilns seen from the rear of the Gladstone and Roslyn works

6  

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

photo: Chris Oldham - 2007

 

small flint kiln at the front of the Gladstone Museum

plus 1  

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

photo: Eileen Hallam - 2004

 

bottle kilns at the Albion Works

   2  

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

photo: Alan Murray-Rust  - Sept 2007
 

 

bottle kilns in a range at the Commerce Street Works, Longton

2  

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

photo: Steve Birks - Jan 2001

 

bottle oven, corner of Warren St

1  

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

photo: David Rayner - Feb 2003

 

 
Slender circular hovel to calcining oven, Uttoxeter Road, Longton

1  

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

photo: Chris Allen - June 1989

 
kilns at the rear of the Sutherland Works (Hudson & Middleton)

3  

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


photo: Linden Cooke - Jan 2003

 

TOTAL:

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Bottle Kilns