47 bottle-shaped structures complete with their bottle-shaped chimney
3 ovens/kilns which have collapsed - no chimney remains
50 TOTAL
50 TOTAL
NUMBER OF LOCATIONS
27 locations - 29 separate sites
Exact locations are given below using ///what3words addresses. More details at what3words.com
SUMMARY by TOWN
Number of bottle shaped structures which remain standing complete with their chimneys, by Potteries town. Excluding collapsed ovens/kilns.
0 Tunstall
12 Burslem
8 Hanley
3 Stoke-upon-Trent
4 Fenton
20 Longton
47 TOTAL (complete with the chimney stack)
SUMMARY by TYPE
Number of bottle shaped structures which remain standing complete with their chimneys, by overall type. Excluding collapsed ovens/kilns. Constantly under review and subject to change.
8 Hanley
3 Stoke-upon-Trent
4 Fenton
20 Longton
47 TOTAL (complete with the chimney stack)
SUMMARY by TYPE
Number of bottle shaped structures which remain standing complete with their chimneys, by overall type. Excluding collapsed ovens/kilns. Constantly under review and subject to change.
22 Updraught bottle ovens
5 Downdraught bottle ovens
2 Decorators muffle bottle kilns
15 Calcining kilns
3 Hovel only
47 TOTAL
SUMMARY and Quantity
Listed from the north to the south of the city
Some ovens are complete with their hovels, chimneys and firing chambers and have been restored. Some have lost their firing chambers. Others have collapsed, due to neglect or vandalism, causing their hovels and parts of their firing chambers to fall into rubble.
No two bottle ovens or kilns are alike. They can be tall and fat, or short and thin. Some are rectangular, and some are circular. Some were potter's ovens and some were used by potters' material suppliers. Nearly all were built 'by eye' based on the experience of the oven builder and the particular requirements of the factory owner.
30 bottle ovens, which were built specifically for the firing of biscuit or glost pottery, (potter's ovens) remain standing complete with their chimneys.
The rest, are bottle kilns either used in the supply industry, for the calcining of flint and bone, or for firing decoration onto pottery (known as enamel kilns.)
12 of the 47 (25%) remaining structures are owned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
No beehive kilns, used for the firing of bricks or tiles, remain in Stoke-on-Trent. Strictly speaking they were not bottle kilns, since they had no bottle shaped chimney stack, but they were, at one time, a very significant part of the Potteries landscape.
https://www.potteries.org.uk/past-projects
https://www.potteries.org.uk/welcome
5 Downdraught bottle ovens
2 Decorators muffle bottle kilns
15 Calcining kilns
3 Hovel only
47 TOTAL
SUMMARY and Quantity
Listed from the north to the south of the city
Moorland
Pottery
|
Moorland
Road, Burslem
|
1
|
Acme Marls
|
Bournes
Bank, Burslem
|
3
|
Furlong
Mills
|
Furlong
Lane, Burslem
|
2
|
Price and
Kensington
|
Top Bridge
Works, Longport
|
1
|
Middleport
Pottery
|
Port St,
Middleport
|
1
|
Calcining Works - Middleport
Mill
|
Milvale St,
Burslem
|
1
|
Oliver's
Mill
|
Newport
Lane, Burslem
|
2
|
Moorcroft
|
Sandbach Rd,
Cobridge
|
1
|
Falcon
Pottery (collapsed updraught)
|
Town Rd,
Hanley
|
1
|
Falcon
Pottery (collapsed muffle)
|
Town Rd,
Hanley
|
1
|
Dudson's
|
Hope Street, Hanley
|
1
|
Smithfield
Pottery
|
Warner St,
Hanley
|
1
|
Johnson
Brothers, Trent Pottery
|
Eastwood Rd,
Hanley
|
2
|
Joiners Square Works
|
Lichfield
St, Hanley
|
1
|
Etruscan Bone
Mill, Shirley's
|
Lower
Bedford St, Etruria
|
1
|
Cliffe Vale
Works, Twyfords
|
Shelton New
Rd, Stoke
|
2
|
Spode
Pottery (collapsed, remnant)
|
Church St,
Stoke
|
1
|
Dolby Flint Mill
|
Lyton St,
Stoke
|
1
|
Falcon Works
Stoke
|
Sturgess
Street, Stoke
|
2
|
Fountain
Works, James Kent
|
Fountain
Street, Fenton
|
3
|
Heron Cross
Pottery
|
Chilton
Street, Fenton
|
1
|
Phoenix
Works
|
King St,
Longton
|
2
|
Commerce
Works
|
Commerce St,
Longton
|
2
|
Gladstone
Pottery Museum
|
Uttoxeter
Rd, Longton
|
4
|
Gladstone
Pottery Museum (muffle)
|
Uttoxeter
Rd, Longton
|
1
|
Roslyn Works
(next door to Gladstne)
|
Uttoxeter
Rd, Longton
|
2
|
Sutherland
Works - West
|
Normacot Rd,
Longton
|
1
|
Sutherland
Works - East
|
Normacot Rd,
Longton
|
2
|
Enson Works
|
Chelson St,
Longton
|
4
|
120
Uttoxeter Road
|
Uttoxeter
Rd, Longton
|
1
|
Minkstone
Works
|
Warren
Street, Longton
|
1
|
TOTAL
incl. collapsed
|
50
|
Some ovens are complete with their hovels, chimneys and firing chambers and have been restored. Some have lost their firing chambers. Others have collapsed, due to neglect or vandalism, causing their hovels and parts of their firing chambers to fall into rubble.
No two bottle ovens or kilns are alike. They can be tall and fat, or short and thin. Some are rectangular, and some are circular. Some were potter's ovens and some were used by potters' material suppliers. Nearly all were built 'by eye' based on the experience of the oven builder and the particular requirements of the factory owner.
LARGEST OVEN
The largest bottle oven, with the most firemouths, is at Middleport Pottery, Middleport, with eleven.
SMALLEST OVEN
The smallest oven, with the least number of firemouths, is at Moorcroft Pottery, Cobridge, with just six.
SMALLEST CALCINING KILN
The smallest calcining kiln can be found at the rear of 120 Uttoxeter Road, Longton. Flint or bone calcining kiln. Diameter at base - 9 feet.
OLDEST OVEN
According to Zoe Sutherland (Ceramic Heritage Action Zone Project Officer, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, 2021) the remaining bottle oven at Price & Kensington could be the oldest in the Potteries. "Certainly a bottle oven is shown in this location on Hargreaves' 1832 map although it may well have been rebuilt wholly or in part."
NEWEST OVEN
According to Zoe Sutherland (Ceramic Heritage Action Zone Project Officer, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, 2021) "One of the remaining bottle ovens at the Enson Works, Longton could be a candidate for one of the newest ovens in the Potteries. The easternmost bottle oven, of the four here, seems to have been built in the period 1950 to 1967."
All bottle ovens and kilns are 'Listed Buildings'. A Listed Building is a building, object or structure that has been judged to be of national importance in terms of architectural or historic interest and included on a special register, called the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
30 bottle ovens, which were built specifically for the firing of biscuit or glost pottery, (potter's ovens) remain standing complete with their chimneys.
The rest, are bottle kilns either used in the supply industry, for the calcining of flint and bone, or for firing decoration onto pottery (known as enamel kilns.)
12 of the 47 (25%) remaining structures are owned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
No beehive kilns, used for the firing of bricks or tiles, remain in Stoke-on-Trent. Strictly speaking they were not bottle kilns, since they had no bottle shaped chimney stack, but they were, at one time, a very significant part of the Potteries landscape.
Google location map of remaining bottle ovens and kilns
Courtesy: https://staffordshirepotteries.wordpress.com/bottle-ovens/27 locations, 29 separate sites
No bottle ovens or kilns remain in Tunstall. The last were demolished in the 1980s.
Locations by town and using ///what3words
Exact locations of all the remaining ovens and kilns are given in the text below together with the ///what3words address system. More details on the what3words.com site. Many thanks go to Andy Perkin of The Potteries Heritage Society for researching and providing the ///what3words addresses.
TUNSTALL - 0
BURSLEM - 12 still standing in 8 locations
Twelve bottle-shaped structures remain standing, with their chimneys, in the Burslem area. |
| 1 x muffle decorating kiln. 4 firing chambers - two up, two down, 8 firemouths. MOORLAND POTTERY Moorland Road, Burslem. ST6 1DY Photo: By courtesy of Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/items.beyond.corn |
 |
| 3 x potter's downdraught bottle ovens. Formerly ACME MARLS LTD (kiln furniture manufacturers) Bournes Bank, Burslem. ST6 3DW Photo: unknown source what3words.com/brief.descended.terms what3words.com/villa.guitar.burns what3words.com/pinks.rent.worm |
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| 2 x flint calcining kilns. FURLONG MILLS LTD. Furlong Lane, Burslem. ST6 3LE Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/clip.magic.react what3words.com/asset.layers.humid |
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| 1 x potter's updraught hovel oven, 10 firemouths. PRICE & KENSINGTON Prices Teapots Factory, Top Bridge Works Newcastle Street, Longport, Burslem. ST6 4LR The oldest bottle oven still standing in the Potteries. Stands alongside the Trent and Mersey canal. Photo: By courtesy of Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/slide.groups.super |
 |
| 1 x potter's updraught hovel oven, 11 firemouths. MIDDLEPORT POTTERY Burgess & Leigh Ltd. Port Street, Middleport, Burslem. ST6 3PE The largest bottle oven still standing in the Potteries Open to the public. Alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal. Photo: By courtesy of Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/highs.puppy.belt |
 |
| 1 x calcining kiln, double chambered, within large rectangular shaped structure. MIDDLEPORT MILL Calcining Works Milvale Street, Middleport, Burslem. ST6 3NT Photo: Terry Woolliscroft Collection Date: February 2022 what3words.com/noted.ruler.gravy |
 |
| 2 x calcining kilns, one has 2 calcining chambers within 1 bottle-shaped structure. OLIVER'S MILL known locally as "Jumbo, Middle and Office". Newport Lane, Middleport, Burslem. ST6 3NJ Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/solve.tester.pencil what3words.com/alone.trails.votes |
 |
| 1 x potter's updraught, skeleton type, biscuit firing oven. A small oven with just 6 firemouths. MOORCROFT LTD. Sandbach Road, Cobridge, Burlsem. ST6 2DQ The smallest bottle oven still standing in the Potteries https://www.moorcroft.com/ Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/congratulations.crew.thinks |
HANLEY - 8 still standing in 7 locations
Eight bottle-shaped structures complete with their chimney stacks remain in the Hanley area. There are also the remains of one bottle oven and one muffle kiln at Weatherby's Falcon Pottery in Town Road where only the firing chambers still stand. Two of the bottle ovens only have their hovel remaining. Their firing chambers have long since gone: one at the Dudson Centre, Hope street, encloses an excellent museum and the other at Smithfield Pottery is now office accommodation. |
| 1 x remains of a potter's updraught firing chamber Hovel type, 9 firemouths. FALCON POTTERY J H Weatherby, Old Town Road, Hanley. ST1 2LB The hovel collapsed in February 2012. Photo: By courtesy of Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/feed.index.lush |
 |
| 1 x remains of a decorating muffle kiln, only parts of the firing chamber and firemouths remain. FALCON POTTERY J H Weatherby, Old Town Road, Hanley. ST1 2LB Photo: By courtesy of Steve Shaw what3words.com/glue.ready.bought |
 |
| 1 x potter's bottle oven, hovel only. DUDSON'S The firing chamber has gone but the hovel now accommodates a splendid museum. Hope Street, Hanley. ST1 5BS what3words.com/silly.wells.melt |
 |
| 1 x potter's bottle oven, hovel only. SMITHFIELD POTTERY Warner Street, Hanley. ST1 3DH Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/closes.ozone.faded |
 |
| 2 x flint calcining kilns. JOHNSON BROTHERS, TRENT POTTERY sanitaryware factory, Eastwood Road, Hanley. ST1 3LN Link to YouTube - works closure here> what3words.com/rental.drill.angel what3words.com/rots.garden.sulk |
 |
| 1 x potter's updraught skeleton type bottle oven. JOINERS SQUARE WORKS Former Bullers Works, now Imperial Court, Lichfield Street, Hanley. ST1 3EQ Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/drama.bared.vital |
 |
| 1 x flint or bone calcining kiln. ETRUSCAN BONE MILL Lower Bedford Street, Etruria. ST4 7AF www.etruriamuseum.org.uk A single square hovel/chimney encloses two firing chambers. The chimney is not divided into two, unlike the kilns in Milvale Street and Newport Lane - see above. Scheduled Monument. Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/dates.puddles.saying |
 |
| 2 x flint calcining kilns. CLIFFE VALE WORKS Former Twyfords Sanitaryware Factory, Shelton New Road, Cliffe Vale, Hanley. ST4 7AL https://twyfordshistory.blogspot.com/ Photo: By courtesy Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/singer.churn.still what3words.com/depend.fats.page |
STOKE UPON TRENT - 3 still standing in 3 locations
Three bottle-shaped structures, complete with their chimneys, remain standing in Stoke (the town, not the city). In addition, the remnants of a firing chamber exist on the site of the former Spode Pottery Factory. The hovel and firing chamber collapsed in 1972. |
| 1 x remains of the firing chamber of hob mouthed, updraught hovel oven. The hovel and much of the firing chamber collapsed in 1972. SPODE POTTERY WORKS Church Street, Stoke. ST4 1BS http://www.spodeworks.org/ https://spodehistory.blogspot.com/p/spode-bottle-ovens.html Photo source: unknown Date: unknown what3words.com/maple.split.pays |
 |
| 1 x calcining kiln, twin calcining chambers. DOLBY FLINT MILL Dolby Pottery, Lytton Street, Stoke. ST4 2AG Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/trials.spike.live |
 |
| 2 x potter's updraught, hob-mouthed bottle ovens. FALCON WORKS former Goss Works, Sturgess Street, Stoke. ST4 7QH Photo: By courtesy Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/paper.race.exit what3words.com/toys.moth.active |
FENTON - 4 still standing in 2 locations
Four bottle-shaped structures, compete with their chimneys, remain in the area of Fenton, the town which the author Arnold Bennett 'forgot'. |
| 3 x flint and bone calcining kilns. FOUNTAIN WORKS James Kent Group, Fountain Street, Fenton. ST4 2HB Photo: By courtesy Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/empire.edits.cook what3words.com/looks.fats.offer what3words.com/term.piper.oldest |
 |
| 1 x potter's updraught skeleton oven, hovel only, assumed originally 11 firemouths. HERON CROSS POTTERY Hines Street (Chilton Street) Heron Cross, Fenton. ST4 3AU Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/equal.modes.taped |
LONGTON - 20 still standing in 7 locations (9 separate sites)
Exactly 20 bottle-shaped structures, complete with their chimneys, remain in Longton, the most southerly town of the Potteries. Longton is home to the world famous and multi-award winning Gladstone Pottery Museum. Of the 20 ovens, 12 are in remarkably good condition having been restored and opened to the public. The oven at Hudson and Middleton, Sutherland Works, Normacot Road, is the last bottle oven ever to be fired. more here> |
| 2 x potter's downdraught, skeleton ovens one with 10 firemouths, one with 9, both sharing the exhaust chimney. PHOENIX WORKS King Street, Longton. ST3 1EZ Photo: By courtesy Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/send.picked.shirt what3words.com/desk.pushy.photos |
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| 2 x potter's updraught skeleton ovens. COMMERCE WORKS Commerce Street, Longton. ST13 1NW Photo: By courtesy Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/fumes.void.pines what3words.com/grant.bound.sample |
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| 4 x potter's updraught ovens, three with 8 firemouths, one with 9 firemouths GLADSTONE WORKS Museum open to the public. Uttoxeter Road, Longton. ST3 1PQ http://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/gpm/ Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/leaps.remit.study what3words.com/pigs.rail.just what3words.com/moon.learn.called what3words.com/fonts.dive.losses |
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| 1 x muffle enamel decorating kiln. GLADSTONE WORKS Museum open to the public. Uttoxeter Road, Longton. ST13 1PQ http://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/gpm/ Photo: Terry Woolliscroft Collection Date: 2013 what3words.com/wires.insist.useful |
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| 2 x potter's updraught stack bottle ovens. ROSLYN WORKS adjacent to Gladstone Works, Uttoxeter Road, Longton. ST3 1PQ Stoke-on-Trent City Council Enterprise Centres Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/judge.shops.dimes what3words.com/gossip.fallen.alien |
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| 1 x potter's updraught skeleton oven, 8 firemouths. HUDSON and MIDDLETON SUTHERLAND WORKS, WEST The bottle oven on the left was the last ever to be fired with coal - August 1978 Normacot Road, Longton. ST3 1PS Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/issues.clear.myself |
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| 2 x potter's updraught skeleton ovens. HUDSON and MIDDLETON SUTHERLAND WORKS (EAST) Normacot Road, Longton. ST3 1PS Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/unit.loads.agents what3words.com/mops.error.shelf |
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| 4 x potter's updraught stack ovens. ENSON WORKS Chelson Street, Normacot Road, Longton. ST3 1PT Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/rides.lights.loudly what3words.com/silk.flank.comb what3words.com/both.blog.below what3words.com/reform.silk.blaze |
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| 1 x flint calcining kiln. 120, UTTOXETER ROAD near Short Street, Longton. ST31PS Photo: Julian Read Collection Date: April 2017 what3words.com/almost.wider.maple |
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| 1 x potter's updraught skeleton oven. MINKSTONE WORKS corner of Warren St and Normacot Road, Normacot, Longton. ST3 1QD Photo: By courtesy of Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS Date: May 2023 what3words.com/dance.middle.votes |
Stoke-on-Trent Archaeology Service
The service, part of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, regularly survey, excavate and record the remains of bottle ovens/kilns in the city.
Potteries Heritage Society
The Potteries Heritage Society, working with the Stoke-on-Trent City Council, secured grants from the Heritage Lottery and Staffordshire Environmental Funds totalling more than £600,000 to help repair 10 of the remaining bottle ovens considered to be most at risk. The project included the establishment of a Buildings Preservation Trust, which leased the structures from their owners and attended to their ongoing maintenance.https://www.potteries.org.uk/past-projects
https://www.potteries.org.uk/welcome
Accurate bottle oven locations using ///what3words
https://what3words.com/about-us/ ///what3words is a simple way to pinpoint a location. Each 3m square in the world has been assigned a unique 3 word address that will never change. For example ///hidden.towers.span marks the exact front entrance gate to Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. 3 word addresses are easy to say and share, and are as accurate as GPS coordinates.
Complete List - bottle oven locations courtesy of Andy Perkin, Potteries Heritage Society, December 2019
Complete List - bottle oven locations courtesy of Andy Perkin, Potteries Heritage Society, December 2019
TUNSTALL
No ovens or kilns remain in Tunstall
BURSLEM
1 Moorland
Pottery, Moorland Road
///items.beyond.corn
2 Acme
Marls, Bournes Bank
///brief.descended.terms
///villa.guitar.burns
///pinks.rent.worm
3 Furlong
Mills, Furlong Lane
///clip.magic.react
///asset.layers.humid
4 Price
and Kensington, Longport
///slide.groups.super
5 Middleport
Pottery, Middleport
///highs.puppy.belt
6 Calcining Works, Milvale
Street, Middleport
///noted.ruler.gravy
7 Oliver's
Mill, Middleport
///solve.tester.pencil
///alone.trails.votes
8 Moorcroft,
Cobridge
///congratulations.crew.thinks
HANLEY
9 Falcon
Pottery, Old Town Road
///feed.index.lush
///glue.ready.bought
10 Dudson's,
Hope Street
///silly.wells.melt
11 Smithfield
Pottery, Warner Street
///closes.ozone.faded
12 Johnson
Bros, Trent Sanitaryware, Eastwood Road
///rental.drill.angel
///rots.garden.sulk
13 Joiners
Square Works, Imperial Court
///drama.bared.vital
14 Etruscan Bone Mill, Shirleys, Lower Bedford Street
///dates.puddles.saying
15 Cliffe Vale Works (Twyfords), Shelton New Road
///singer.churn.still
///depend.fats.page
STOKE
16 Spode Pottery Works, Church Street
///maple.split.pays
17 Dolby Flint Mill, Lytton Street
///trials.spike.live
18 Falcon
Works, Sturgess Street
///paper.race.exit
///toys.moth.active
FENTON
19 Fountain
Works, James Kent, Fountain Street
///empire.edits.cook
///looks.fats.offer
///term.piper.oldest
20 Heron
Cross Pottery, Chilton Street, Heron Cross
///equal.modes.taped
LONGTON
21 Phoenix
Works, King Street
///desk.pushy.photos
///send.picked.shirt
22 Commerce
Works, Commerce Works
///fumes.void.pines
///grant.bound.sample
23 Gladstone Pottery Museum and Roslyn Works, Uttoxeter Road
///leaps.remit.study
///pigs.rail.just
///moon.learn.called
///fonts.dive.losses
///wires.insist.useful
///judge.shops.dimes
///gossip.fallen.alien
24 Sutherland
Works (West and East), Normacot Road
///issues.clear.myself
///unit.loads.agents
///mops.error.shelf
25 Enson
Works,Chelson Street
///rides.lights.loudly
///silk.flank.comb
///both.blog.below
///reform.silk.blaze
26 12
Uttoxeter Road
///almost.wider.maple
27 Minkstone
Works, Normacot Road
///dance.middle.votes