# J H Weatherby's Falcon Works Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent - July 09



## adders0121 (Aug 3, 2009)

This was a last minute, spur of the moment explore. I was alerted to a show happening that night in Stoke, so a little internet research later and I was on the train to kill a couple of hours before the gig.

J H Weatherby's pottery works was the target of the afternoon, and with my multimap directions in hand I found my way across the city and had a nosey.

The site isn't in too good a state, but there's so much machinery, and unfinished pottery around it's actually awe inspiring.



> One of the last remaining family-owned pottery firms is to close after more than a century.
> J H Weatherby and Sons in Hanley is currently being run down and is will soon cease trading after 109 years.
> 
> Its chairman, Christopher Weatherby, the great-great grandson of company founder John Henry Weatherby, today blamed cut-throat competition in the hotelware business for the firm's decline.
> ...



The front of the Falcon Works building on Old Town Road.






The central courtyard, with the bottle kiln in the middle.





The outer chamber of the bottle kiln.










In the main chamber of the bottle kiln.





One of many modern kilns sitting there untouched, most still full of pottery.





















































































Unfortunately because I was running out of time and light I skipped the offices at the front of the building.  But I intend on going back to Stoke and spending a good full day checking out that and a few other sites of interest.


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## Foxylady (Aug 12, 2009)

Fantastic find, adders. Some great stuff left lying around. Love the bottle kiln.


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## Virusman26 (Aug 12, 2009)

Dude, if you go back, I'd love to see it!! Looks utterly gorgeous!


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