Dolby Potters Mills, Stoke

Dolby Potters Millers & Merchants, Stoke
Extant 20th-century flint calcining kiln

At the time of the 1878 map Lytton Street was not yet built - there was a gas works and flint mill ajoining the railway line.
By the 1898 survey the Lytton Street was built and a few unamed buildings shown.
In a 1907 directory there is recorded C. H. Hobson Bros., flint and stone grinders.
The flint kiln still standing (as a listed building) was built by 1937.
W. J. Dolby Ltd. operated here as a 'Potters Miller and Merchant'
Dolby Engineering Ltd. also operated here as 'engineers'
Both Dolby companies went into liquidation in 1969
a survey of the kiln conducted in 1984 records the contemporaneous owner of the site as Ball & Robinson
(operating the premises as 'Queensway Woodwork')
- the previous owner is listed as 'Dolby's Ltd. (Vitterio Cirillo)'.

Dolby Potters Millers
alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal
Sid Kirkham

W. J. Dolby

The works of W. J. Dolby Ltd, Potters Millers & Merchants and Dolby Engineering Ltd.
running above the works is Lytton Street and below is the Trent & Mersey Canal
to the very right of the picture is Stoke Aquaduct which carries the
River Trent under Lytton Street and under the Trent & Mersey Canal

A wider view of the area around the works

Purple rectangle - Dolby Mill and Engineering Works
at the top of the picture is the Manchester to London West Coast Mainline Railway
immediatly below the works is the Trent & Mersy Canal
at the bottom is the A500 dual carriagway

yellow line - Lyton Street
red line - Grant Street
green line - Old Mill Strett
light blue line - River Trent

Bing maps

The Trent and Mersey Canal with the Dolby Flint Mill on the right

photo: May 2008

1900 map
Trent and Mersey Canal in light blue and the River Trent in dark blue
the purple rectangle shows the final full extent of Dolby works

1924 map
- part of the area is marked as 'wharf' -
Trent and Mersey Canal in light blue and the River Trent in dark blue
the purple rectangle shows the final full extent of Dolby works

1937 map
- the Mill buildings can be seen where the wharf was -
Trent and Mersey Canal in light blue and the River Trent in dark blue
the purple rectangle shows the final full extent of Dolby works

1969 map
- the Flint Mill is marked on the map -
1969 is the year W. J. Dolby went into liquidation
Trent and Mersey Canal in light blue and the River Trent in dark blue
the purple rectangle shows the final full extent of Dolby works

flint calcing kiln

the two adjacent firing chambers

photo: 28dayslater - The UK UE Urbex Urban Exploration Forums

The far end gable of W. J. Dolby

this is the view of the River Trent just before it passes under the Trent & Mersey Canal
to the left is Dolby's and at the front of the photo is the canal side

photos: May 2008

Winding up order
The Companies ACT, 1948

London Gazette, 22 May 1969

Appointment of Liquidators

London Gazette, 23 September 1969

London Gazette, 24 November 1969

Flint bottle kiln at former Dolby Potters Millers, Brick.
Free standing kiln, with square base to hovel, rising to oval and then cylindrical cap.

Extant flint calcing kiln, built by 1937.
Now stands within garage, adjacent to Trent & Mersey Canal.
Two adjacent firing chambers within one structure with single stack.
Recorded in Bottle Oven survey 1976

Remains of bottle kiln by A500, Stoke

In the foreground the remains of an old bottle kiln uncovered during the rebuilding of the A500 road in Stoke.
In the left hand background can be seen the bottle oven (at Former Dolby Potters Mills) Lytton Street (now a listed building)

photo: 2006

contents: 2009 photos