No 97 -  Copeland House

"This is probably one of the few records of the building which was known, until recently, as Copeland House and occupied No. 5, Copeland Street, Stoke. 

With the go-ahead for the southern section of the D-road, a great number of the more interesting buildings in Stoke have suffered the ultimate blow, but, in this particular case, 1 was lucky and managed to get there a couple of weeks before the demolition crews moved in.

It appears that Copeland House, a nice example of mid-Victorian architecture, was built by the Copeland firm as a convenient residence for their factory manager. The red brick facade, I thought, was particularly interesting, with its carved, pot-like stone embellishments above the main entrance and windows, and also the archway access for horse-drawn carts. 

The firm also erected adjacent houses for the families of senior staff, clerks and foremen, and the adjoining building may have been used as an inn at one time.

Behind the property was an old slated warehouse, known as Copeland Wharf, advantageously situated at the junction of the Newcastle branch canal and the busy Trent and Mersey.

The recently-created vast open space is possibly very similar to that of the Glebe area of Stoke about the turn of the 19th century, when just a handful of houses and developing potteries constituted the township of Stoke. 

In fact, it was not until the 1830s that the town developed any real significance; this was mainly due to the enthusiasm and public spirit of Mr. William Taylor Copeland, an Alderman of the City of London, who, in 1833, purchased the Spode factory, bringing increased prosperity to what was previously little more than a village."

12th February 1975