Wedgwood Barlaston Works (1940–Present)

The Barlaston Works became the home of Wedgwood in the modern era. Built between 1936 and 1940 on a greenfield site south of Stoke-on-Trent, the factory represented a bold departure from the crowded Victorian potbanks of the Potteries.

Designed as a light, spacious and efficient manufacturing centre, it combined traditional craftsmanship with modern production methods and reflected Josiah Wedgwood's long-held belief that good working conditions encouraged excellence.

Although production has changed considerably over the decades, Barlaston remains closely associated with the Wedgwood name and has become one of the most significant pottery factories in Britain, combining manufacturing, design, heritage and visitor attractions on a single site.

The Barlaston Works at a glance
Works name:	Barlaston Works
Wedgwood's association	Built by Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd under the direction of the Wedgwood family.
Location:	Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, about six miles south of Etruria.
Maps:	view location on Google Maps
Significance:	A purpose-built modern factory designed to replace the ageing Etruria Works. One of Britain's most advanced pottery factories, combining modern manufacturing with improved working conditions.
Relevant Links:	World of Wedgwood V&A Wedgwood Collection

Why a new Pottery Factory?

Wedgwood moved from Etruria to Barlaston because the Etruria Works was increasingly unsuited to modern pottery manufacture.

By the 1930s, the 170-year-old factory was suffering from severe industrial pollution, heavy mining subsidence and overcrowding, while its piecemeal layout made efficient production difficult.
Although the works had been expanded and adapted over many decades, it could no longer accommodate the larger, brighter and more mechanised factory that the company envisaged for the future.
The search for a new site reflected changing ideas about industrial design. Rather than rebuilding on the confined Etruria site, Wedgwood chose open countryside at Barlaston, where a purpose-built factory could be planned around efficient production, improved working conditions and room for future expansion.
Construction began in 1936, creating one of the most modern pottery factories in Britain.

The Move from Etruria to the New Barlaston Works

Moving Wedgwood's operations from Etruria to Barlaston was a carefully planned undertaking that took almost a decade to complete. Production was transferred department by department as new facilities became available, ensuring that orders could continue to be fulfilled throughout the transition.

Although the Second World War interrupted the programme, the move resumed after 1945, culminating in the closure of the Etruria Works in June 1950 and the establishment of Barlaston as Wedgwood's principal manufacturing centre.

Date	Event
26 November 1935	The Board of Directors first formally considered relocating from Etruria because of subsidence, pollution and the limitations of the ageing works.

14 May 1936	Josiah Wedgwood V announced to the workforce that a new factory would be built at Barlaston.

1936	The Barlaston Hall Estate (around 380 acres) was purchased and architects Keith Murray and C. S. White began designing the new factory and planned garden village.

10 September 1938	Foundation stone laid, deliberately echoing the opening of Etruria almost 170 years earlier. A ceremonial casket containing eight pots and Wedgwood memorabilia was sealed beneath the stone by members of the Wedgwood family and long-serving employees.

1938–1940	Construction of the factory and part of the planned workers' village.

1940	Earthenware and Jasper production transferred to the new works. The factory also became Britain's first completely electrically fired pottery.

1939-1945	The Second World War interrupted completion of the project. Much of the factory was requisitioned for war work and the planned garden village was largely delayed.

1945-1950	Completion of the remaining departments and gradual transfer of production from Etruria.

13 June 1950	The historic Etruria Works finally closed after 181 years of production, and Barlaston became Wedgwood's principal manufacturing centre.

The Barlaston Years

1. Wartime beginnings (1940–1945)

The factory opened during the Second World War. Although pottery production began, much of the site was requisitioned for government war work, delaying the full transfer from Etruria and postponing plans for further expansion.

2. The post-war years (1945–1960s)

After the war, Barlaston developed into Wedgwood's principal manufacturing centre. New departments were completed, production was transferred from Etruria, and by the 1950 closure of the old works the company was fully established at Barlaston.
The factory became internationally renowned for its fine bone china, Jasperware, Queensware and ornamental ceramics.

3. Expansion and worldwide success (1960s–1980s)

These were the factory's heyday. Thousands of people worked at Barlaston, exporting Wedgwood products around the world. The site expanded to include design studios, decorating shops, warehouses and visitor facilities, becoming one of the Potteries' largest and best-known manufacturing complexes.

4. Changing fortunes (1990s–2009)

Like much of the British ceramics industry, Wedgwood faced increasing competition from lower-cost overseas manufacturers. Production became more specialised, the workforce declined, and the company experienced financial difficulties. In 2009, Waterford Wedgwood entered administration before being acquired by WWRD.

5. Barlaston today (2015–present)

Today the Barlaston site remains the home of the Wedgwood brand, although manufacturing occupies a much smaller part of the estate than in its peak years.

The site includes the World of Wedgwood visitor attraction, factory tours, shops, restaurants, creative studios and the internationally important V&A Wedgwood Collection, preserving one of Britain's finest industrial and ceramic archives.
Production continues on site, maintaining an unbroken link with the company's manufacturing heritage.

Lasting legacy -

More than eighty years after its construction, the Barlaston Works remains one of the most significant pottery factories ever built. Although manufacturing has evolved and the workforce is much smaller than at its peak, the site continues to combine production, design, education and heritage, ensuring that Wedgwood's association with North Staffordshire continues into the twenty-first century.

OS Map showing the Wedgwood Barlaston works and housing village
map surveyed 1958-67 and published 1968