Peter Warburton (1773–1813) built the Bleak Hill Works, Cobridge (between Elder and Waterloo Roads) early in the 19th cent.

James & Ralph Clews, Bleak Hill Works, Elder Road (1813-1827)

Mr. F. J. Emery of the Bleak Hill Works introduced in about 1865 a method of crayon drawing and painting on the unglazed surface of earthenware and china, which came much in repute, and drawings were made in it by some of the artists as well as by lady and other amateurs. The unglazed articles and prepared crayons and colours were supplied by Mr. Emery, who afterwards became a partner with Edward Clarke at Longport, and proprietor of the Bleak Hill Works.

The western part of the Cobridge area around the former Grange farm was in 1960 still  largely waste, much of it was occupied by the workings of the disused Grange Colliery.  There are two council housing estates in this district. One was laid out off Commercial Street south of St. John's Church in the years between the world wars. The other, south of it, dates from after 1945.
Demolition of the cottages around the Bleak Hill Pottery between Waterloo Road and Elder Road was in progress in 1958 and cottages in Waterloo Road west of Christ Church had been pulled down before the end of 1959. Cobridge Park (9 acres), between Elder Road and the railway, was opened in 1911.