Ivy House Works, Burslem | Josiah Wedgwood's First Independent Pottery

The Ivy House Works occupied a pivotal place in the history of the pottery industry. Although Josiah Wedgwood worked there for only about three years, from 1759 until 1762, it was here that he established his first independent business and laid the foundations of the Wedgwood company.

During this brief period he developed the disciplined approach to experimentation, quality control and manufacturing that would later transform the pottery industry and lead to the creation of the much larger Brick House Works and, ultimately, the purpose-built Etruria Works.

The Ivy House Works at a glance
Works name:	Ivy House Works
Operating period:	Josiah Wedgwood rented these works starting May 1, 1759, from his distant cousins John and Thomas Wedgwood of the Big House for £10 per year. He ceased operations at this location by the end of 1762 or early 1763 due to outgrowing the site's capacity and moved to the Brick-house Works. The original buildings were later sold in the 19th century and demolished around 1835 to clear space for Burslem's new market hall.
Location:	Situated alongside the Burslem Town Hall
Maps:	view location on Google Maps
Significance:	Josiah Wedgwood's first potworks
Relevant Links:	Ivy House Works and New Market Hall Burslem's first Town Hall

Why the Ivy House Works Matter

Although Josiah Wedgwood occupied the Ivy House Works for only about three years (1759–1762), its importance in the history of the pottery industry cannot be overstated. It was here that he took the decisive step of becoming his own master and established the principles that would underpin the extraordinary success of the Wedgwood company.

At Ivy House, Wedgwood developed a new, scientific approach to pottery manufacture. He recorded experiments systematically, tested raw materials carefully, and refined both his clay bodies and glazes with a single-minded determination to achieve consistency and quality. This disciplined approach was a major departure from the more traditional, experience-based methods that had long dominated the industry.
The works also introduced new standards in organisation and commercial practice. Wedgwood insisted on careful supervision, skilled workmanship and reliable delivery, laying the foundations of efficient management and customer confidence. Demand for his wares grew rapidly, demonstrating that quality and innovation could create a successful and expanding business.
In just a few years, the Ivy House Works became far more than a small pottery in Burslem. It was the birthplace of Wedgwood's independent enterprise and the workshop in which he developed the methods that would make him one of Britain's greatest industrialists. The ideas and techniques he perfected there led directly to the larger Brick House Works and, ultimately, to the creation of the revolutionary Etruria Works.

Date	Event

1759	Josiah Wedgwood established his first independent pottery business.

1759-1762	Developed the systematic experimentation that became the hallmark of the Wedgwood company.

c.1760-1762	Continued refining cream-coloured earthenware, leading to the later success of Queen's Ware. Wedgwood had already been experimenting with cream-coloured bodies during his partnership with Thomas Whieldon, and he continued refining them at the Brick House Works before achieving the celebrated Queen's Ware.

1762	Met Thomas Bentley, who would become his lifelong business partner.

1762	Outgrew the Ivy House Works and moved production to the larger Brick House Works.

The Ivy House and Works, leased by Josiah Wedgwood in 1759, stood on the corner of Shoe Lane (now Wedgwood Street) in the centre of Burslem. The house, named for the ivy that covered its walls, belonged to his cousins Thomas and John Wedgwood, from whom he rented the property and adjoining pottery for £10 per year.

The engraving, published by Llewellynn Jewitt in The Wedgwoods (1865), shows the house with its small front garden, together with the workshops and bottle kilns where Wedgwood established his first independent pottery business. It was here that he produced many of the innovative wares and carried out the experiments that laid the foundations of his later success. The Ivy House was also the first home of Josiah and Sarah Wedgwood after their marriage in 1764.

The buildings survived long after Wedgwood had moved to larger premises but were demolished in the 1830s to make way for the enlargement of Burslem Market and the construction of the Market Hall. Jewitt lamented their loss, describing the Ivy House as "one of the most interesting memorials of Josiah Wedgwood which the neighbourhood possessed."

The Ivy House and Works, Burslem. Engraving published in The Wedgwoods by Llewellynn F. W. Jewitt (1865), p. 121.

Map of the potworks in Burslem - 1800

Locations associated with Josiah Wedgwood (173-1795) are highlighted in red.

» The Churchyard House and Works is where Josiah was born. His eldest brother, Thomas Wedgwood IV, took Josiah as an apprentice here in 1744.

» Near the Town Hall and on the opposite side of the road to the Wedgwood Big House is the Ivy House Works - Josiah established his own independent pottery business here in 1759.

Note the Big House was owned by the brother John and Thomas Wedgwood, who were distant cousins of Josiah Wedgwood.

» Josiah Wedgwood expanded his business in 1763 when he rented the Brick House Works from the Adams family of potters.