The Middleport Pottery of Burgess and Leigh (opened 1888)  

The mangle (drying tower)

 

 

Location 3 on the plan

Next: the bottle oven
Previous: the boiler house chimney

This mangle (drying tower) is at 80 foot (24 meters) the tallest surviving in Stoke-on-Trent (although it is not in use now). 

The mangle is lined with steam fed pipes which is produced by the Lancashire Boiler. When the pottery is first fired it is called biscuit ware, it is porous at this stage - the ware is dipped in glaze and then stacked on the mangle to let it dry before the second firing which fixes the glaze (called the 'glost' firing).

The ware moves up the inside of the mangle, (each full revolution takes 50 minutes).

 

the factory yard with the mangle and the bottle oven

The mangle (drying tower) - about 80 foot tall

access door for maintenance  

Next: the bottle oven
Previous: the boiler house chimney