Gladstone Pottery Museum and Duchess China team up for new pilot ceramics visitor experience
Two iconic names in Stoke‑on‑Trent ceramics are coming together to celebrate the industry’s past, present and future as a new pilot project launches at Gladstone Pottery Museum and Duchess China 1888.
The Beyond the Bottle Oven experience was officially launched today (Tuesday 10 March) by The Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer Jones, as guests became the first to preview the new offer which links Stoke-on-Trent’s industrial heritage with modern ceramics production.
From the end of March, monthly tours will allow visitors to explore the historic Gladstone Pottery Museum before stepping inside the working Duchess China factory opposite. The combined visit connects traditional bottle kilns and workshops with contemporary fine china production, showing how long-established skills continue to shape the industry today.
Gladstone Pottery Museum, home to Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down is one of the city’s most visited heritage sites while Duchess China continues the long tradition of fine china production, supplying customers across the UK and overseas.
Speaking at the event at Gladstone Pottery Museum, Keith Brymer Jones said: “You come to this heritage site, and you walk literally through the years of people creating wonderful work.
“You walk across the road, and you go to Duchess, and they’re doing the same thing in the 21st century. The more we can do to expose the talent and creativity of the wonderful city of Stoke the more people will be invested in what people do here.
“That’s what I think is so exciting about this initiative of marrying the old and the new.”
The experience offers behind-the-scenes access to both heritage and live production, giving visitors a clear view of how ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent remains a living, working industry.
The project forms part of the city council’s Future 100 programme, supporting long-term growth, regeneration and cultural investment while reinforcing Stoke-on-Trent’s position as a global centre for ceramics.
By linking a nationally recognised heritage site with a working manufacturer, the scheme strengthens the city’s visitor offer while supporting local jobs, skills and investment in the ceramics sector.
Also speaking at the event, Jason Simms – Director of Duchess China 1888 Ltd – discussed the similarities between a modern factory and a Victorian potbank like Gladstone. He said: “It’s not that much different the way we make things. There’s a lot if synergy between the two factories.
“I’m a Neck Ender. This means a lot to me to be connecting this museum to the factory that Andy and I proudly own.”
The first tour of the pilot project will take place on 25 March at 10.30am, followed by a second tour on 22 April at the same time. The experience features a tour of Gladstone Pottery Museum, a potter’s lunch at Gladstone’s Café and a tour of the Duchess China 1888 Ltd factory.
Each tour will cost £45 per person, including lunch, and will last 3-4 hours. A maximum of 12 people can book on each tour.
For more information, and to book email: gladstone@stoke.gov.uk or telephone 01782 237777.
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