Pack Horse Lane, location of Wood's house & view over Fowlea Valley

Location 7 on the index map

Pack Horse Lane, location of Wood's house & view over Fowlea Valley

Continuing down Pack Horse Lane towards
Wood's flint mill (demolished c.1880)

Packhorse Lane in the 1950's
to the right is the side of the former Enoch Wood works
the lane had been reduced to a mere stump which ended in the small potworks seen to the left

photo: Warrillow collection

1878 map showing the relationship between Woods factory and house
Packhorse Lane is shown in orange

Behind the walls of the factory was an extensive private garden attached to the mansion house occupied by Enoch Wood (see 1832 map).

Below the walls stood the firm's flint mill embellished with arched windows and embattled gables looking more like a church than an industrial building. The mill was demolished in c.1880.

This was the location of Wood's home
which can be seen on the accompanying
pictures of Wood's factory.

In Wood's day the view across the Fowlea Valley
would not be obscured by the buildings & houses.

".. it is not difficult to imagine that an extensive and picturesque view was once upon a time counted amongst its chief attributes.
The district of Dale Hall, in early days the home of the Burslem family, in the more immediate foreground, and Longport Hall, the home of the Davenports, with Wolstanton and Bradwell Wood in the distance, were all features adding to a delightful prospect across the valley.

Enoch Wood's fine house, surrounded by well laid out and extensive pleasure grounds, has now passed away and much of the glory of that which was in those days one of the most important factories in Burslem is departed. In its place may now be seen a Roman Catholic Church with schools and playing grounds;"

Frank Falkner, The Wood Family of Burslem, 1912