No 94 -  The Spode Pottery, Stoke

Bottle kilns at the Spode works c.1900-1930
All these coal fired kilns were demolished and replaced with electric fired kilns - only the base of one of the old kilns remains. 

© The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery

"This little bit of Potteries history is quietly tucked away in the middle of the famous Spode factory at Stoke. The once-familiar bottle-shaped exterior has been shed, exposing the inner chamber of the kiln, surely a unique monument to an industry with such a fine tradition. 

This factory never ceases to amaze me. The buildings, a mixture of old and new, house some of the finest artists and craftsmen in the world, who work with amazing skill and dedication. The magnificent ware they produce is sought after by collectors in every country.

It all began with Josiah Spode I (1733-1797), born of humble parents in an obscure hamlet in North Staffordshire. At the age of 6, his father died and he had to face the future both fatherless and penniless, an unenviable position at any time. At the age of 16 he was working for Thomas Whieldon, probably the most successful potter in the district at that time.

The year 1754 was very significant for Spode. He got married, and went to work for William Banks in Stoke. Here he prospered, and in 1758 was able to buy his own house.
A few years later he acquired small premises of his own and started to produce the type of pottery that was in demand. In 1770 William Banks ceased manufacturing and Spode acquired his factory, returning now as master potter rather than worker. 

He was responsible for the successful introduction of bone china into a porcelain body on a manufacturing scale in 1796. When he died in 1797 the factory had grown considerably in size and was equipped with the most up-to-date machinery, even possessing a steam engine for grinding raw materials. 

Through the vigour and enthusiasm of Josiah Spode, a great tradition was founded."

25th September 1974