The potteries of Dale Hall

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

The Dale Hall Works
Dale Hall Pottery
Albany Pottery

the Trent & Mersey Canal is shown in dark blue

DALE HALL POTTERY Co
"ALPINE" is the pattern name

It was not unusual for potters to try to establish an early date,
to try to give their ware some sense of history and value.
The occupiers of the Dale Hall pottery works used the date "1790"
- which was the date the works were first built by Joseph Stubbs.

Pottery factory exterior with a view of the bottle ovens at the Dalehall Works,
 

Pottery factory exterior with a view of a calcining kiln. 1975 - 1976 (c.)


Taken at Royal Doulton's Dalehall Works, Stoke-on-Trent.

Calcining is the process of heating bone or flint to soften it for grinding down into a powder. Bone and flint powder are added to clay.

If bone is added the finished ware is white and translucent. These are the main characteristics of bone china. Flint powder helps moisture to escape the clay when it is fired. This stops the clay bursting.
 

© Gladstone Pottery Museum Photographic Collection
 

Dunn Bennett occupied the Dalehall Works c.1937 - 1998

Dunn Bennett manufactured earthenware and Ironstone for both the home and American markets. Their products were of high quality; and having retail establishments in both countries they were in a position to cater successfully for both countries.

Became part of the Royal Doulton Group and then eventually ceased operation - the last occupied works (Dalehall Works) became the site of the new Steellite hotel ware manufacturing and warehousing site. 

 

"The extensive works at Dale Hall (or Dale Hole, as it used to be written), founded in 1790 originally belonged to Joseph Stubbs - a successful manufacturer of earthenware during the 1822-5 period, who having retired from business, died in 1836. He was succeeded in about 1843 by Messrs. Thomas, John & Joshua Mayer, who from 1855 traded as Mayer Brothers & Elliot, and from them the works passed through the firms of Mayer & Elliot, Liddle, Elliot, & Co., Bates, Elliot & Co., Bates, Walker & Co., and Bates, Gildea & Walker to the firm of Gildea & Walker during the 1881-6 period."

The marks of Messrs. Mayer were T.J.&J. MAYER; MAYER BROS, etc. Those of the later firms were BATES, WALKER & Co.
PATENTEES (or other successive changes), on an oval ribbon, with date, etc., of registration inside; and a nude figure kneeling and holding a ewer in front of him, on a tablet with the date 1790.

This device was introduced in a variety of ways, with the initials B.W. & CO., B.G. & W., or G. & W„ LATE MAYERS, and the name of
the pattern, etc. On some, the device is surrounded by a circular ribbon, on others by a triangular one.
Messrs. Gildea & Walker continued to 1886. The Dale Hall Works were subsequently worked by Keeling & Co. (Ltd.) from 1886 to 1936. They used the above mark with the initials K & Co. B."

Jewitt's "Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1800-1900", 

Bates, Walker & Co
BW & Co

1875-78   "BAMBOO" is the pattern name

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the Dalehall Works - now occupied by Steelite

 

The frontage of Steelite - on Newcastle Street

Steelite occupies three works - on the canal side is the Dale Hall Works and the Albany Works
and on Newcastle Street the Dale Hall Pottery.