Duke of Bridgwater Inn, Longport

Bottom Bridge Pottery

Duke of Bridgewater Inn (Bottom Bridge Pottery)
In the 1840s this factory was taken over by William Davenport 
and incorporated into his firm at Longport. 

The factory is shown on the 1851 Ordnance Survey map. 
Then the Duke of Bridgewater Inn was located in 
what is now the garden of the public house 
between the road and the canal. 

In 1841 it was occupied by:

---

Public House, originally dwelling. Early 19th Century.

Brick with plain tiled roof. 3-storeyed, 3 bays with central door and side lights in wide architrave, with paired pilasters carrying open pediment.

Flanking windows are sashes with flat arched stuccoed heads with expressed voussoirs. Lower windows renewed in original openings. Moulded eaves cornice, gable and stacks.

 

“Mr John Davenport commenced business at Longport in 1794, and added, in 1797, to his other concerns, the chemical preparation of litharge and white lead, for the use of potters, in their glazes; but this department is now discontinued. In 1801, the making of flint-glass, or crystal, was introduced by them, and is still extensively can-led on; connecting with which is steam-machinery for cutting and ornamenting it. They produce very brilliant specimens of stained glass, and have got up some elaborate works of that kind for church and other windows, particularly one for St Mark’s, Liverpool; and have furnished splendid assortments for the Dukes of Sutherland and Devonshire, the Marquis of Anglesea and Westminster, and others of the nobility. 
They have (in addition to Longport Pottery, the Top & Bottom Bridge Works) a fourth Earthenware manufactory at Newport, which, with a good house near it, was built by Mr Walter Daniel, in or about the year 1795. The aggregate of their business, indeed, is of very considerable magnitude, and gives employment to upwards of fifteen hundred hands. Messrs Davenports’ china ware has long obtained celebrity, not only for the excellence of its material, but for exquisite design and embellishments. On his Majesty, King William, coming to the throne, he gave directions for a superb service of porcelain to be made, for the banquet to be given at the Coronation. This splendid production was, by his Majesty’s permission, exhibited publicly at the works, at Longport, previous to its being forwarded to St James’s; and Messrs Davenport, with that liberality which has distinguished them on all occasions, invited the manufacturers generally, and other neighbours, to inspect it.”

John Ward,  History of the Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent (1843)

 

The photograph above, (from the Warrillow Collection in Keele University Library), shows the frontage of the Bottom Bridge (or New Bridge) Pottery built in the 1770's. 

The large Georgian building on the left (which is now the Duke of Bridgewater Inn) was originally the master potters house. In 1841 the factory and the house were occupied by George Phillips who by then had been a pottery manufacturer for 19 years. He employed between 400 and 500 people at his factory and was returned in the 1841 census as follows:

 

George Phillips	35	Earthenware Manufacturer
Emily Phillips	30
Louisa Phillips	7
Emily Phillips	4
Mary Jane Phillips	1
Anne Phillips	37	Independent
Jane Onge	30	Independent
Mary Bentley	35	Female Servant
Hannah Lovatt	25	Female Servant
Fanny Hockenhall	20	Female Servant

When William Davenport took over the factory the master potter’s 
house became redundant and in the late 1850s
 the pub was moved into the neighbouring house 
which it still occupies today. 
The factory frontage was demolished in about 1960 
and the remaining buildings on the site were 
recently cleared away prior to redevelopment.

 

The garden of the Duke of Bridgewater Inn
- which was the location of the original inn.

photos: Steve Birks  2001

take a 'walk' around Longport

 

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