A Visit to Stoke-On-Trent
Stoke-On-Trent is the historical home of the British Potteries. Our January program will take a trip to this West Midlands region of Great Britian for a visit to Middleport Pottery, a still-operating Victorian pottery continuing the historic traditions of British ceramics. Middleport Pottery was established in 1888 by Burgess & Leigh as a model factory in the region, which included hundreds of potteries including Wedgewood, Spode, Royal Doulton, Moorcroft, and Portmeirion. It was saved from closure in 2010 by Prince Charles’s charity, The Prince’s Regeneration Trust, which lead to its restoration as a heritage site, visitor center, clay college, and continued production hub. Burleigh continues production there today making traditional transfer-printed earthenware as well as bone china ware, using local animal bone ash in the clay mix for strength. In addition to Middleport, our visit will make stops at the Etruscan Bone Mill, Moorcroft, Gladstone Pottery and the Stoke-On-Trent Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.