This was another of my favourite explores; the third one undertaken on the Urbex Meet-Up weekend in Stoke-on-Trent in 2007 (please see the previous two posts for the first ones). Sadly, the factory has since been demolished, presumably including all the stuff left behind.
Stoke-on-Trent is famous for its potteries, known locally as Pot Banks, and was the main industry in the area. Unfortunately, due to cheap imports from China and elsewhere, many of them were closed down, left abandoned and derelict until being demolished. Even well-known brands, such as Royal Doulton, have suffered the same fate.
Interestingly though, unlike many abandoned places, these factories were largely left intact with hardly any vandalism inside. It always amazes me how much pottery remained stacked on pallets, very little of which has been broken.
The ascendants of the Simpsons have allegedly been pottery makers since the 16th century. As a firm however, they have operated since 1904, firstly under the name of Soho Pottery Ltd, then under the name of Simpsons itself. In 1918 they moved to these premises in Cobridge called The Elder Works, and continued there until 2004.
Above, a selection of moulds and several of the many pallets left remaining in the factory. Some are in pristine condition, still wrapped in plastic with all the crockery intact. Below, the factory floors, where rubbish has been strewn about, including broken pallets, which seems a bit odd when there are still piles of crockery left standing.
There were huge, walk-in kilns on this floor (below), but it was too dark in that part to get a decent picture of them.
In the offices upstairs there were some samples of glazing and coloured pigments.
Some odd corners and another pallet...just for a change! ;)
Such an amazing weekend comprising three of my all-time favourite explores. The fourth stop on our tour is another pottery - Royal Doulton - coming up in the next post.
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