The Middleport Pottery of Burgess and Leigh (opened 1888)  

View of the factory from the Canal Side

The works were located (as were many other pottery factories) on the side of the Trent and Mersey Canal which was opened in 1777 over a 100 years before the Middleport Pottery. The ability to bring raw material in and transport the finished ware out was essential for an efficient operation. The canal is no longer used by the pottery manufacturers but pleasure craft are regularly seen. In its heyday the canal would have been as busy as our motorways, there were many factories surrounding Burgess and Leigh and directly opposite on the other canal bank was a lime kiln.

 

Location 1 on the plan

 

Next: raw material in the yard at the back of the works 
Previous: frontage of the works in Port Street

 

Middleport factory alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal

The Middleport factory name is visible for miles away, across the Fowlea Valley. 

The Middleport Pottery - a pen drawing by Neville Malkin - Oct 1975

One of the remaining cranes on the canal side 
for unloading raw materials and loading the 
finished ware for transport to the port docks at
Liverpool and Hull. 

Next: raw material in the yard at the back of the works 
Previous: frontage of the works in Port Street