A walk around the Middleport Pottery of Burgess and Leigh (built 1888)

 

The Burgess and Leigh potworks in Middleport, Burslem were built in 1888, they became famous the world over for Burleigh ware. 

The works were rescued from the receiver in 1999 by William and Rosemary Dorling and run as a going concern the company was renamed 'Burgess Dorling and Leigh'. 
In July 2010 the company was sold  to Denby Holding.
The Prince’s Regeneration Trust's subsidiary, the United Kingdom Historic Building Preservation Trust (UKHBPT) acquired Middleport Pottery from Burgess Dorling & Leigh (a subsidiary of Denby Holdings), in July 2011. The Trust is investing £7.5million in the regeneration of the pottery site.

[link to the Burleigh web site]

 



- Plan of the walk -



Click the plan above to go to 'clickable' map
- or select from the list below -
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next: introduction to the 'walk'

 

Click for Locations & photos on the 'walk'

Introduction to the walk around Burgess & Leigh Pottery
Burgess & Leigh from an 1893 advertising and trade journal
Frontage of the factory in Port Street, Middleport, Burslem
Trent and Mersey canal at the rear of the factory
Clay delivery area on works yard
Boiler house Chimney
Outside view of the 'mangle' (drying oven for unfired ware)
Outside view of the remaining bottle oven
Steam engine room
Slip & clay house (ground floor)
Side yard between buildings
Mould maker (1st floor)
Mould store - with many moulds over 100 years old (2nd floor)
Casting shop (1st floor)
Sponging shop - where the soft cast ware is cleaned (1st floor)
Cup manufacturing shop (ground floor)
Flat shop - manufacture of plates (ground floor)
Front yard between buildings
Hollow ware shop - manufacture of bowls (ground floor)
Firing kilns
Biscuit selecting and brushing ware that has been fired (ground floor)
Hand painting - Toby Jugs, Art Deco ware (ground floor)
Corridor showing where the bottle kiln encroaches on the inside
Inside view of the 'mangle' (drying oven for unfired ware)
Printing of patterns on biscuit ware
Transfer shop - printing transfers and applying to ware. (1st floor)
View of terraced houses & stairs to offices
Archway to factory and factory rules
factory offices
factory shop

- back to the plan -

 


next: introduction to the 'walk'

 


questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks