Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Around half of the remaining bottle ovens in Stoke on Trent have been captured in this short video.
A bottle oven or bottle kiln is a type of kiln. The word ‘bottle’ refers to the structure’s shape, not to its products, which are usually pottery, not glass.
Bottle kilns were prevalent in the industrial landscape of Stoke-on-Trent, where 47 are preserved as listed buildings. They were primarily built in the later 18th and 19th centuries, although some surviving examples date back to the 20th century. Their association with Stoke-on-Trent reflects the city’s significant role in the British ceramic industry. Bottle kilns can also be found in other locations in England, such as Coalport porcelain and the Fulham Pottery in London.
Despite their inefficiency, with an estimated 70% of fuel energy wasted, bottle kilns were constructed until the mid-20th century. However, as the industry transitioned away from coal-fired kilns, they were replaced by other types. The Clean Air Act 1956 officially ended their use in the United Kingdom.
Stoke-on-Trent boasts 47 standing bottle ovens, all of which are now listed buildings. The largest group is located in Longton within its conservation area, which protects several 19th-century pottery works.
Public bottle ovens include those at the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton, Sharpe’s Pottery Museum in Swadlincote, and the Middleport Pottery in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
00:00 Bottle Ovens
00:17 Enson Works, Longton
01:16 Gladstone and Roslyn Works, Longton
02:57 Phoenix Works, Longton
03:42 Middleport Pottery, Middleport
04:22 Dolby Mill, Stoke
05:29 Heron Cross Pottery, Fenton/Heron Cross
06:25 Sutherland Works, Longton
07:25 Commerce Works, Longton
07:51 Top Bridge Works, Longport
08:36 Smithfield Pottery, Hanley
09:00 Middleport Mills, Middleport
09:45 Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton
10:07 Gladstone in the fog
11:37 Thank you for watching
Around half of the remaining bottle ovens in Stoke on Trent have been captured in this short video.
A bottle oven or bottle kiln is a type of kiln. The word ‘bottle’ refers to the structure’s shape, not to its products, which are usually pottery, not glass.
Bottle kilns were prevalent in the industrial landscape of Stoke-on-Trent, where 47 are preserved as listed buildings. They were primarily built in the later 18th and 19th centuries, although some surviving examples date back to the 20th century. Their association with Stoke-on-Trent reflects the city’s significant role in the British ceramic industry. Bottle kilns can also be found in other locations in England, such as Coalport porcelain and the Fulham Pottery in London.
Despite their inefficiency, with an estimated 70% of fuel energy wasted, bottle kilns were constructed until the mid-20th century. However, as the industry transitioned away from coal-fired kilns, they were replaced by other types. The Clean Air Act 1956 officially ended their use in the United Kingdom.
Stoke-on-Trent boasts 47 standing bottle ovens, all of which are now listed buildings. The largest group is located in Longton within its conservation area, which protects several 19th-century pottery works.
Public bottle ovens include those at the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton, Sharpe’s Pottery Museum in Swadlincote, and the Middleport Pottery in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
00:00 Bottle Ovens
00:17 Enson Works, Longton
01:16 Gladstone and Roslyn Works, Longton
02:57 Phoenix Works, Longton
03:42 Middleport Pottery, Middleport
04:22 Dolby Mill, Stoke
05:29 Heron Cross Pottery, Fenton/Heron Cross
06:25 Sutherland Works, Longton
07:25 Commerce Works, Longton
07:51 Top Bridge Works, Longport
08:36 Smithfield Pottery, Hanley
09:00 Middleport Mills, Middleport
09:45 Gladstone Pottery Museum, Longton
10:07 Gladstone in the fog
11:37 Thank you for watching
