Industrial pottery

The Staffordshire Potteries is the industrial area encompassing the six towns – Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton – that now make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The Potteries became a centre of ceramic production in the early 18th century, due to the regional availability of clay, and coal with nearby deposits of lead and salt used for glazing.

Alongside pioneers of the industrial revolution such as Josiah Wedgwood and Spode, the Staffordshire potteries in the late 19th c comprised of hundreds of relatively small factories with more than 2,000 kilns firing millions of products a year. By 1938 half the workforce of Stoke-on-Trent worked in pottery factories with employment peaking in 1948 to an estimated 79000 people. Other centres of production emerged in Shropshire, Derby and South Wales but Staffordshire remained a key centre of global production way into the 20th Century.

The Staffordshire Potteries still remain a centre of UK ceramic production despite its reduction due to the impact of global economics. Outsourcing and new technologies have displaced many traditional crafts practiced in the industry. However, some historic processes, such as flower making, china painting and clay pipe making, are carried out within heritage settings in Stoke, Shropshire and Wales.

The techniques used in industrial pottery are varied and highly specialised. They range from historic hand skills to mechanised and semi-mechanised processes. See ‘Sub-crafts’ and ‘Issues affecting the viability of the craft’ below.

Design

• ‘Hand-fitting’ and ‘styling-up’

Modelling

• Tableware
• Figurine
• Relief

Mould making

• Blockers/casers
• Production mould makers

Production – making (plastic clay)

• Throwers
• Turners
• Flatware pressers
• Hand jiggering
• Hollow Ware pressing
• Hand Jolleying

Production – hand casting

• Bench casters

Production – Automated (personnel manning machines)

• Machine casting
• Pressure casting
• Dust pressing

Decoration (clay)

• Agate, thrown/laid
• Slip decoration (Marbling/trailing/dipped)
• Scraffito
• Pate-sur-Pate
• Flower makers
• Figure makers – (sprig maker)
• Ornamentors (sprig application)
• Engine-turned decoration (including dicing and rouletting)
• Piercing
• Tubelining
• Tubeline decorator/ painter

Decoration (underglaze)

• Copperplate engraving
• Printing (flat/roller engravings)
• Tissue transferrers
• Painting
• Banding/lining
• Lithography

Decoration (on glaze)

• Gilding – including raised paste and jewelling
• Painting (enamel)
• Banding/lining
• Ground laying
• Acid etching

Historic processes

• Saggar making
• Clay pipe making

Endangered Industrial Pottery Skills Research

Research was carried out in 2021 by the Heritage Crafts Association in partnership with Staffordshire University. The aim of the project was to survey existing skills and knowledge and then to develop a series of recommendations to preserve and promote these skills as embedded within our intangible cultural heritage. This was followed up with a skills symposium at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery during the British Ceramics Biennial in October 2021.

For the purposes of this research, these skills are distinct from those of studio pottery, which is a thriving craft.

20 ceramics businesses participated in this research and reported the following figures and issues

Design ‘Hand-fitting’ and ‘styling-up’

Practising personnel: 20

Issues:

• Decline in skills and material understanding

• Lack of training opportunities and work experience within industrial settings

• Reduction in higher education courses that specialise in industrial design.

Modelling (tableware, figurine, relief)

Practising personnel: 22

Issues:

• CAD and 3d printing are now widely used in the production of models
• The majority of modelling work is outsourced to a dwindling number of free-lance makers
• Decline in skills and material understanding
• Decline in the use of clay and other creative activities in schools leading to a loss of haptic skills and material understanding

Mould making (blockers/casers, production mould makers):

Practising personnel: 17

Issues

• These skills are industry led and it is difficult to find advanced training or learn the skills outside of an industrial pottery setting

• Mould making is outsourced to a dwindling number of free-lance makers
• As many mould makers are free-lance, it is less likely that skills are passed on to the next generation of makers

Production skills

Practising personnel:

• Throwers: 5
• Turners: 5
• Flatware pressers: 0
• Hand jiggering: 2
• Hollow Ware pressing: 1
• Hand Jolleying: 4

Issues

• Many of these processes have been replaced by automated equipment

• Some heritage companies are continuing the skills but in a very limited capacity
• The majority of production now happens overseas

Production – Bench casters

Practising personnel: 36

Issues

• Most factories will still employ bench casters

• ·Work can be repetitive and so some companies (e.g. Denby) are upskilling staff into different processes and ensuring they can work in other areas of the business

Production – Automated (personnel manning machines) Machine casting, Pressure casting, Dust pressing

Practising personnel: 40

Issues

• High investment in equipment and so needs a high volume of production to be viable
• Most work will now be off-shored

Decoration (clay)

Practising personnel:

• Agate, thrown/laid: 0
• Slip decoration (Marbling/trailing/dipped): 1
• Sgraffito: 2
• Pate-sur-Pate: 1
• Flower makers (6 of these are in the heritage sector): 7
• Figure makers – (sprig maker): 2
• Ornamentors (sprig application): 5
• Engine-turned decoration (including dicing and rouletting): 1
• Piercing: 2
• Tubelining: 3
• Tubeline decorator/ painter: 3

Issues

• Many of these techniques are difficult to implement due to the increased cost, and so lower cost techniques are used
• Many of these techniques are seen as niche and take time to learn and perfect
• Could be seen as a non-contemporary aesthetic and less relevant for a younger generation
• Some of these skills, such as slip decoration and scraffito, will be used more in a studio setting

Decoration (underglaze)

• Copperplate engraving: 2
• Printing (flat/roller engravings): 1
• Tissue transferrers: 28
• Painting (66 of these are in one business): 69
• Banding/lining: 2
• Pad printers; 2

Issues

• Some of these skills, particularly knowledge of print, are built up over many years and are difficult to replace.
• These are often high cost processes and are used for high-end products. As processes are streamlined the quality is gradually eroded.
• Hand painting skills have largely been replaced with lower cost transfers
• It is difficult to find trainees with the right aptitude for the job
• The risk of losing these skills is high

Decoration (on glaze)

• Gilding – including raised paste and jewelling: 15
• Painting (enamel): 12
• Banding/lining: 9
• Ground laying: 1
• Acid etching: 0

Issues

• These are seen as highly skilled roles and it can be problematic to replace skills as makers retire

• The techniques take time to perfect and learn with experienced makers
• These are often high cost processes and are used for high-end, prestige products

Historic processes

• Saggar making (now obsolete): 0
• Clay pipe making: 4

Key issues for the sector across all skill areas:

• Ageing practitioners – many are beyond retirement age.
• Outsourcing of work to a dwindling pool of free-lance experts. As they are self-employed, these makers are unlikely to have the capacity or resources to train the next generation
• Lack of training opportunities and work experience
• Some of the potteries employ a token workforce to demonstrate the heritage of the skills while outsourcing the majority of their production to low-wage economies in other countries. This can give a misleading sense of the health of the crafts.
• Some of the current practitioners have been kept on as demonstrators by heritage organisations such as the Gladstone Pottery Museum and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, keeping the skills alive but in a precarious state due to reliance on public funding in place of a sustainable market.
• Rapid decline of the Staffordshire Potteries: The potteries have lost a number of companies and hundreds of jobs over recent years, posing a series threat to the legacy of industrial ceramics skills.

• Clay College
• Gladstone Pottery Museum
• Spode Museum Trust Heritage Centre
• Staffordshire University
• Gladstone Pottery Museum
• Middleport Pottery
• Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
• Nant Garw China Works & Museum

• Helen Johannessen – Yo Yo Ceramics 
• Dave Richardson
• Nathan Smallman – Sculpta
• Andrew Henshall – modeller
• Ed Bentley

Businesses

N.B. These are all ceramics companies working with varying applications of hand skills.  Some will be outsourcing work to free-lance specialists.

• 1882 Ltd – A contemporary ceramics company based in Stoke-on-Trent, known for innovative design and collaborations with artists.
• Brunswick Ceramic Services Ltd – A family-run business specializing in mould making, die manufacture, ceramic products, and design consultancy.
• Burleigh Pottery – Handcrafting pottery in England since 1851, renowned for its blue and white ceramics using traditional underglaze tissue printing.
• Ceramics 77 – Mould Making Service – A Stoke-on-Trent-based company offering mould making services for the ceramics industry.
• Ceramics by Design – Manufacturer of bespoke ceramic household and ornamental articles.
• Denby Pottery – Crafting ceramics in England for over 200 years, offering durable stoneware and porcelain products.
• Duchess China 1888 – One of the few remaining British manufacturers of fine bone china, offering bespoke tableware and giftware.
• Emma Bridgewater – Known for hand-decorated pottery and homeware, featuring iconic patterns and personalized gifts.
• Global Bisque Ltd – Produces bisque for the pottery industry, supplying wholesale and trade customers with various earthenware options.
• Halcyon Days & Caverswall China – Produces handcrafted English fine bone china, maintaining traditional skills and craftsmanship.
• Heron Cross Pottery – Manufactures high-quality traditional earthenware pottery, including teapots and jugs.
• Nantgarw China Works Museum  – The museum preserves the history and craftsmanship of Nantgarw porcelain.
• Peregrine Creamware – Handmade English earthenware crafted with care by a husband and wife team in Stoke-on-Trent.
• Portmeirion Pottery – Offers a wide range of dinnerware, gifts, and homeware, known for its quality and design
• Royal Crown Derby – One of the oldest remaining English porcelain manufacturers, producing high-quality bone china since the 18th century
• Staffordshire Heritage Fine Bone China – Produces traditional, handmade English bone china, offering a range of teapots, plates, and mugs.
• Steelite International
• Walpole Fine Bone China –  Produces fine bone china, offering bespoke services for various clients.
• Wedgwood – Fiskars Group – Production of ‘prestige’ wares such as hand-painted and limited edition objects and Jasperware is still made by a small team of skilled workers at the Barlaston factory, while the rest of the company’s output is produced in Indonesia.
• William Edwards Produces fine bone china for the hospitality industry.

A number of notable ceramics companies have ceased operations or outsourced their work in the period 2022-2025

• Johnson Tiles – In 2024, Johnson Tiles announced the closure of its Stoke-on-Trent factory after 123 years of operation, transitioning to an outsourced production model.
• Royal Stafford – Entered liquidation in February 2025, resulting in the loss of over 80 jobs.
• Heraldic Pottery – Closed in early 2025, following a series of pottery firm closures in the region.
• Wade Ceramics – Entered administration in December 2022, ceasing operations and ending all jobs.
• Moorcroft – Announced its closure in 2025 after over 100 years of operation, citing rising expenses.

• thepotteries.org

Our thanks go to our 2025 reviewers:

• Prof. Neil Brownsword, Staffordshire University

We consult with a wide range of practitioners and organisations to review and update the Red List. Some choose to remain anonymous but all feedback is taken into account.

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