Middleport Pottery

A surprise morning visitor suggested a trip out but our destination was unknown to me until our arrival. 

It was a fascinating few hours mooching about the old buildings and we even got to go inside the old bottle kiln. Of the 2000 kilns that were originally in the Potteries, only 47 remain. There were 7 on this site alone but 6 have been demolished and this one only remains standing because it was built into the main building.  You can see the outline of one of the kilns, that would have been adjoining. 

Middleport Pottery, situated on the Trent and Mersey Canal in Stoke-on-Trent, was built by Burgess and Leigh in the late nineteenth century. The Grade II* listed Pottery is the UK’s last working Victorian potbank in continuous production. After 130 years, Middleport Pottery remains home to world-famous ‘Burleigh’ pottery.


Since being built by Burgess and Leigh it has worked continuously, even through two world wars!  Sadly, the only time it had to stop production was during the first lockdown for Covid-19.