England’s canals | toothpicnations

Trent & Mersey canal

I had pre-booked a guided factory tour at the last working Victorian pottery factory – Middleport pottery factory the morning after my visit to the British Ceramics Biennial. I decided to take a scenic route (also recommended by the B & B owner) along the Trent & Mersey canal as the factory is located next to it.

The one-hour walk offered a glimpse into the past of the city. Engineered by James Brindley and completed in 1777, the canal played a crucial role in the thriving pottery industry at the time. The pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgewood was one of the major backers of the canal, as he saw the canal as an economic option for transporting huge amounts of china clay and other raw materials such as coal between the ports and his factories.

Unfortunately, with the demise of the potteries industry, now there are only derelict factories and kilns along the canal. In 2011, Middleport was at serious risk of closure, and the Victorian factory was in a state of disrepair until Prince Charles and The Prince’s Regeneration Trust stepped in and rescued it from being turned into a car park by the pottery giant Steelite interational next door (informed by our guide at the tour)!

The facade of the Victorian factory

The Grade II* listed site was constructed in 1888 for a well-known local ceramics company, Burgess & Leigh Limited. The company was founded by Frederick Rathbone Burgess and William Leigh in 1862, and it was Leigh who had the idea of constructing a new pottery factory next to the canal. An architect was hired to design the factory (which was unheard of at the time), and it became widely recognised as the “Model Pottery” in the Staffordshire pottery industry. With its 3 biscuit and 4 glost bottle ovens, the factory was known locally as the “Seven Oven Works”.

Sadly, only one biscuit oven is left standing today; all the glost ovens were demolished in 1949, whilst the other 2 biscuit ovens were removed in 1965. The last biscuit oven survived solely because it is attached to the building, hence it escaped the fate of demolition.

Top left: Original factory signage; Top right: The Victorian steam engine; 2nd row right: The entrance to the last kiln at the factory; Bottom row left: Old factory machinery; Bottom row right: A vintage poster of the factory

After a three-year, £9 million regeneration of the site, the restored Pottery opened to the public in July 2014. It has resulted in the safeguarding of 50 local jobs and the creation of 66 more. Aside from a visitor centre – featuring the original Victorian offices – the site also has an open kiln with a small museum, an art gallery, a room with a Victorian steam engine, Prince of Wales Studios for young designers and craftsmen, a factory shop and a cozy cafe serving wholesome local specialities.

Before the factory visit, I had no idea that this is the last of its kind in Britain, and I was glad that had pre-booked the guided factory tour. The tour was not only informative, it also enabled us to understand the processes of the pottery manufacturing. We were led into different parts of the working factory and chatted to workers who are not only locals, but the 2nd or 3rd generation workers of the same factory!

The underglaze tissue printing room (except for the lady working on the Fortnum & Mason pottery in 2nd row right)

Burleigh is renowned for its traditional printing technique – the underglaze tissue ceramic transfer printing which first developed circa 1850. I was surprised to learn that Burleigh is now the only company in Britain (or the world) to employ this time-consuming but skillful technique. Other companies now use either screen printing or digital printing to save time and costs. Although Burleigh also employs these printing techniques, the underglaze tissue printing is what makes the company special.

Seeing the workers happily applying their skills and enjoying their tasks really made my day. I wish that more British companies would continue to support local manufacturing as it is part of their heritage. These skills and craftsmanship would be lost forever if these companies continue to set up factories overseas to cut costs.

Top left: The art gallery; Top right: The studios for young local designers/artists; 4th & bottom rows: The factory shop

After the tour, I spent some time browsing in the factory shop and I ended up buying an English ceramic tea set for my brother as part of his wedding present. Having just met the workers at the factory, it felt good to know that each piece of the set was made with care, skill and passion.

If you are going to spend one or 1/2 day in Stoke on Trent, then I highly recommend this guided factory tour. It is not only about ceramics, but fundamentally it is about the British history and heritage.

Top left: The display of pottery in the visitor’s centre; Top right: The Burleigh pottery board game; Bottom: The popular cafe by the canal decorated with murals painted by local artist

A short film about the Middleport pottery factory

Bridgewater canal in Castlefield

Like human beings, all cities have their own characteristics, memories and energies. Having lived in several major cities at different stages of my life, I have come to realised that some cities’ energies and mine just don’t blend well (possibly to do with feng shui?). There are cities that I find inspiring and uplifting, yet there are some that I find depressing and draining. Whenever I am in a city, I’d like to play the role of an outsider (even in London), because it allows me to detach myself and observe the city and its people more objectively. I want to use my senses to perceive a city… the architecture, urban landscape, smell, pollution, colours, people’s facial expression, behaviour and fashion are all details that we can easily miss if we don’t pay attention to them.

Cities are constantly evolving, some of their histories may have been forgotten or be buried underground, but their intrinsic essence rarely changes over a short period of time or even after major disasters (e.g. New York). Most importantly though, it is the citizens who largely contribute to the collective energy of a city.

Although Manchester’s city centre is vibrant and bustling, I regard the historical Castlefield as the ‘soul’ of the city. Not only this is the birth place of the city, it is also said to be the start of the industrial revolution because of the arrival of Bridgewater Canal, the world’s first industrial canal built in 1764, commissioned by by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater.

Since I was staying in the area, I decided to stroll along the canal in the morning. The vibe was calm and subdued, very different from the hustle and bustle vibe in the centre. I was fascinated by the varied styles of railway and foot bridges here, and while standing under them, I began to imagine when this place was full of activities and working people. I could sense the history here, many untold stories seemed to be hidden underneath these massive steel bridges and old warehouses.

Another historical part of Greater Manchester is Salford on the other side of River Irwell. However, the area has suffered from high-levels of unemployment and social issues for decades, and even the recent regeneration scheme has had many setbacks. Wandering on the edge of Salford, I was surprised by the slightly rundown and quiet streets. Like Castlefield, there is a big contrast between this part of the city and the centre, but again, one could sense its historical past.

I was particularly intrigued by the facade of a historical-looking pub tucked away on a desolate back street called Eagle Inn (also known as The Lamp Oil). Later, I found out that the pub dates back to 1848 at its current site, and it is housed inside a Grade II listed building from 1903. In recent years, the pub was under-threat due to the regeneration of the area; luckily it was saved and the interior of the pub has since been restored, with the cottage next door being converted into a live music venue.

The streets surrounding the pub look rather derelict, but I found them more interesting than the glossy buildings in the centre. These derelict sites tend to capture my imagination, they trigger my curiosity about the histories and stories behind them. I once read that people’s interests in derelict or abandoned places or ruins are related to our own mortality. Perhaps so. I think we are all subconsciously (or consciously) aware that whatever possessions we own will inevitably be destroyed, lost, disintegrated or be given away one day. These places remind us that nothing will last forever.

Like humans, cities may experience prosperity and declines throughout their existence. Countless cities had been destroyed throughout history due to human destructions or natural disasters, yet many ancient cities have miraculously survived too. Cities are never static; buildings and roads are constantly being constructed or rebuilt, people come and go daily, and they all silently leave their visible or invisible imprints behind. Cities are fascinating because everything is man-made; and behind each creation, there is at least one human story to be told.

I have come across many cities that feel utterly ‘soulless’, but Manchester is certainly not one of them. And I believe it is the many human stories behind this city that make it special and enticing.