Hiya folks
This place has been the subject of many previous explores but my first look around here. Sadly almost no traces of the pottery and moulds now exist, along with the wheeled carts used for putting them in the kilns (pics taken early this year showed them so i was too late again). It looks like the whole place has been vandalised to the point of which I can’t see anyone wanting to rent it out as it’s currently to let. The offices upstairs have been totally trashed, the windows smashed which is letting in the rain and holes have been kicked in the plasterboard, along with several attempts at burning the place down the factory looks in a sorry state. This sadly means that like a lot of other damaged buildings it becomes cheaper to simply flatten them than repair them, which is a great shame as I’ve grown to like this old brick building whilst I was there.
I visited on a very wet and windy morning. It’s not a very large factory, its small compared to TG Greens in Swadlincote, which is the only other pottery I’ve visited, (sadly we don’t have such factories down in Essex, I’ve got a thing for brick bottle kilns, I hadn’t seen them so close up before, just love the shape and workmanship to build them...save them all I say, live in them, work in them, join them up with little walkways and make a surreal village of bulbous brick chimneys...just don’t be knocking ‘em down!)
So anyway, back to the visit, rain poured in through the broken windows, sheets were flapping about on the roofs, even the pigeons looked worried when a couple of glass skylights fell to the ground and shattered, which all added to the derelict atmosphere and scared the shit outa me. The constant water logging has caused a thick layer of green slime to carpet the slippery concrete floor which made putting up the tripod fun as its legs went in various uncontrollable directions and the broken drainpipes became random water jets keeping me on my toes as I tried to avoid getting blasted. There were a few bits of interest still left behind, but as an explore I wouldn’t recommend it unless you had another one nearby to explore and you just wanted to stop off or you have an uncontrollable urge to see a mug-rollercoaster-type-machine, so don’t be wasting ya petrol as the best bits were already gone.
A little bit of history....
John Tams was born in Longton in 1837, the son of John Tams and Ann nee Procter. The family had been established in Shelton by about 1620. He was apprenticed to a working potter. In about 1865 he entered into partnership with Lowe, manufacturing in St. Gregory's Pottery, High Street, Longton. The partnership was dissolved about 1873 and in 1874 John Tams bought the Crown pottery, on the corner of Commerce Street and High Street, the one I visited here. At first he specialised in the manufacture of imperial measured ware, mugs, jugs, etc., for hotels and public houses. The increasing use of glass and further government regulations forced him to develop new lines of production, including ornamental and general earthenware. The kilns fired for their last in 2006 when the factory finally closed its doors.
The 2 bottle kilns at the back are a separate building and not on the Tams site
The front of John Tams Crown Works
the only long brick kiln
Pots of red dye
machinary dept
2 smaller kilns
One of the only pieces of pottery i saw left behind
transfers
I wonder what this would fit?? thats why i luv snoopin bout
I went upstairs into the offices, but sadly these were badly trashed, the wiring had been stolen and there were virtually no windows intact
The corridors were open to the elements
Looking out of the windows above The Strand
Looking onto the roof tops
Reception at side of building
Clocking in/out holders and company certificates
the chairs had been fighting amongst themselves for the solo spot
Id probably buy one
mug painting machine, maybe?
the bottle kilns just outside the main Tams site
Just in case anyone is unaware of the pure loveliness of brick bottle kilns just around the corner is this fabulous set from the former Roslyn Works which is now being redeveloped into an employment agency, pheeew...huge sigh of relief for these lucky ones
Well thats all folks, wish it was a bit more exciting for you all...well atleast you only wasted 1 min of ur lives scroolin thru 'em, i will never get that day back
This place has been the subject of many previous explores but my first look around here. Sadly almost no traces of the pottery and moulds now exist, along with the wheeled carts used for putting them in the kilns (pics taken early this year showed them so i was too late again). It looks like the whole place has been vandalised to the point of which I can’t see anyone wanting to rent it out as it’s currently to let. The offices upstairs have been totally trashed, the windows smashed which is letting in the rain and holes have been kicked in the plasterboard, along with several attempts at burning the place down the factory looks in a sorry state. This sadly means that like a lot of other damaged buildings it becomes cheaper to simply flatten them than repair them, which is a great shame as I’ve grown to like this old brick building whilst I was there.
I visited on a very wet and windy morning. It’s not a very large factory, its small compared to TG Greens in Swadlincote, which is the only other pottery I’ve visited, (sadly we don’t have such factories down in Essex, I’ve got a thing for brick bottle kilns, I hadn’t seen them so close up before, just love the shape and workmanship to build them...save them all I say, live in them, work in them, join them up with little walkways and make a surreal village of bulbous brick chimneys...just don’t be knocking ‘em down!)
So anyway, back to the visit, rain poured in through the broken windows, sheets were flapping about on the roofs, even the pigeons looked worried when a couple of glass skylights fell to the ground and shattered, which all added to the derelict atmosphere and scared the shit outa me. The constant water logging has caused a thick layer of green slime to carpet the slippery concrete floor which made putting up the tripod fun as its legs went in various uncontrollable directions and the broken drainpipes became random water jets keeping me on my toes as I tried to avoid getting blasted. There were a few bits of interest still left behind, but as an explore I wouldn’t recommend it unless you had another one nearby to explore and you just wanted to stop off or you have an uncontrollable urge to see a mug-rollercoaster-type-machine, so don’t be wasting ya petrol as the best bits were already gone.
A little bit of history....
John Tams was born in Longton in 1837, the son of John Tams and Ann nee Procter. The family had been established in Shelton by about 1620. He was apprenticed to a working potter. In about 1865 he entered into partnership with Lowe, manufacturing in St. Gregory's Pottery, High Street, Longton. The partnership was dissolved about 1873 and in 1874 John Tams bought the Crown pottery, on the corner of Commerce Street and High Street, the one I visited here. At first he specialised in the manufacture of imperial measured ware, mugs, jugs, etc., for hotels and public houses. The increasing use of glass and further government regulations forced him to develop new lines of production, including ornamental and general earthenware. The kilns fired for their last in 2006 when the factory finally closed its doors.
The 2 bottle kilns at the back are a separate building and not on the Tams site
The front of John Tams Crown Works
the only long brick kiln
Pots of red dye
machinary dept
2 smaller kilns
One of the only pieces of pottery i saw left behind
transfers
I wonder what this would fit?? thats why i luv snoopin bout
I went upstairs into the offices, but sadly these were badly trashed, the wiring had been stolen and there were virtually no windows intact
The corridors were open to the elements
Looking out of the windows above The Strand
Looking onto the roof tops
Reception at side of building
Clocking in/out holders and company certificates
the chairs had been fighting amongst themselves for the solo spot
Id probably buy one
mug painting machine, maybe?
the bottle kilns just outside the main Tams site
Just in case anyone is unaware of the pure loveliness of brick bottle kilns just around the corner is this fabulous set from the former Roslyn Works which is now being redeveloped into an employment agency, pheeew...huge sigh of relief for these lucky ones
Well thats all folks, wish it was a bit more exciting for you all...well atleast you only wasted 1 min of ur lives scroolin thru 'em, i will never get that day back