Master Potters in Georgian  Burslem (1714-1837)

The Wedgwood Family and Enoch Wood.

These pages describe a history walk around Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. The purpose of the walk is to look at the transformation of the town which occurred between 1714 when George I came to the throne and the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

In particular the walk focuses on the role played by two families: the Wedgwood family of the Big House and the Wood family of Fountain Place, Burslem. Introduction

 

Click here for instructions on how to navigate this walk.


Click here to start the tour

(it will help you to read the introduction first
and to look below - at the tour order
and list of maps/documents)



- Map of the walk -

Click the map to go to a location
- or select from the list below -

Locations & photos of the tour (click on the numbers in left column)
1 The Big House of Thomas & John Wedgwood, built 1750.
2 Red Lion public house and Hamil Road.
3 The Over House Estate.
4 Wedgwood Place and Georgian houses.
5 Wedgwood Street (now New Street), built by the Wedgwood family.
6 Enoch Wood's Fountain Place factory & Pack Horse Lane.
7 Location of Enoch Wood's home & view over the Fowlea valley.
8 Hill Top Sunday School and Wood's Hill Top factory (now Wades).
9 The ragged school for destitute children.
10 "The Bowling Green" in High Street.
11 The alley from High Street to Market Square & the Town Hall.
12 The Mechanics Institution. 
13 The development of St. John's Square.
14 New Church Street (now William Clowes Street).
15 Old Church Street (now Bournes Bank).
16 Burslem National School.
17 St. John's Church.
18 Thomas Wedgwood's Church Yard Works.
19 Navigation Road - the link from Burslem canal to the town centre.

- back to the map -

 

Additional notes and maps (which support the tour)

Introduction and Burslem section of 1775 William Yates map of Staffordshire.
1740 town plan of Burslem by William Heaton.
1832 map of Burslem by T. Hargreaves. (shows development of roads).
1812 plan of the centre of Burslem, shows new streets & squares.
New Town Hall (work started on building in 1761).
Josiah Wedgwood Ivy House Works (1759-62) and the New Market Hall.
Josiah Wedgwood Brickhouse (or Bell) Works (1762-1773).
1851 detailed Ordnance Survey map of Burslem town centre.
St. John's Church, plan of gallery & schedule of pewholders.
1851 detailed Ordnance Survey map of St. John's church.
1788 notice from church wardens on Sunday behaviour.
1815 notice on 'tippling' (drinking) during working hours.
The story of Enoch Wood (1759-1840).
1851 detailed Ordnance Survey map of Wood's factories.
Pictures of Enoch Wood's factory in 1843.
1878 Ordnance Survey map showing full extent of Wood's grounds & the flint mill.
Scriven's 1841 report on working conditions at Wood's Potworks. 
Burslem 'Hill Top' Sunday School.

- back to the map -

 



This walk is based on notes by Andrew Dobraszczyc,
photographs taken by Steve Birks during the walk (May 2000)

questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks


NAVIGATION INSTRUCTIONS

 

The tour consists of two main areas.

1) A series of photographs taken on the walk, these can be accessed by clicking on the map above or by selecting from the list given above. You can also use the and buttons at the bottom of the photo pages to 'step' through the walk.

2) There are also additional notes and maps which will help your understanding of the history discussed on this walk. They are not included in the 'tour' as they may distract from the 'flow' of your walk, but they are essential if you want to get the most out of your walk - they are accessed by hyperlinks from the photo pages and also from the list given above on this page.

Clicking on at the top of each page will take you to the main list of all available tours around Stoke-on-Trent.

Clicking on this button at the top of each page will bring you to this index page so you can make another selection from the map or list.

On some pages you will find clicking on this will take you to additional information, but is not part of this tour and so you will need to use your browser back button to get back on the tour.

If you get lost then email me.

Enjoy your walk! - Steve Birks