Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent


Gladstone - a pioneer in the development of the
'Working Museum'

Rescued from the bulldozer on 25th March 1971, the Gladstone Works in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, is home to the most important group of bottle ovens remaining in the UK, and is now the "museum of the pottery industry".

Gladstone Pottery Museum is a restored potbank from the days when coal-burning bottle ovens were used to fire the world's finest pottery. There are five magnificent, towering ovens in this unique setting. If you are visiting Stoke-on-Trent then go to Gladstone first and you'll find out what the Potteries is all about.

This is the story of the Working Pottery Museum. When Gladstone opened to the public in 1975, after 4 years of restoration, it was one of the first museums to embrace the 'working' concept, and was a pioneer in UK museums. 


Half a century later, this multi award winning museum is a major visitor attraction and was officially England's Best Small Visitor Attraction 2020 - a 'Jewel in the Crown' of the Potteries. The entire collection of Gladstone Pottery Museum is a Designated Collection of national importance.


THIRTY FOUR awards in NINE YEARS!

Here's just a few of them ... 

2024  ENJOY STAFFORDSHIRE - BRONZE AWARD for Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
2022  Winners - STAFFORDSHIRE TOURISM and GOOD FOOD AWARDS. 3 awards in 3 categories
2021  Finalist - Museums and Heritage Award 2021 - Volunteers of the year - Terry Woolliscroft's Bottle Oven Art Club
2021  Highly Commended - COLLECTIONS TRUST AWARD for Documentation and Digitisation
2020  VISIT ENGLAND - AWARD for EXCELLENCE - GOLD AWARD - ENGLAND's BEST Small Visitor Attraction


  
2019  STAFFORDSHIRE TOURISM and GOOD FOOD AWARDS! - FOUR AWARDS - GOLD for Best Small Visitor  Attraction, SILVER for Experience of the Year for our Raku Workshops, BRONZE for Responsible and Sustainable Tourism and HIGHLY COMMENDED for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism
2019  WEST MIDLANDS VOLUNTEER AWARDS - FINALISTS
2019  STAFFS CHAMBERS BUSINESS AWARDS - WINNER - Retail, Leisure, Culture and Tourism 
2018  ENJOY STAFFORDSHIRE - SILVER AWARD for Inclusive Tourism
2018  ENJOY STAFFORDSHIRE - SILVER AWARD for Best Small Visitor Attraction
2018  STOKE-ON-TRENT CITY COUNCIL Staff Awards – Team Awesome - WINNER
2018  TRIP ADVISOR - HALL OF FAME - venues that receive a Certificate of Excellence for 5 consecutive years

more here> 


Gladstone Pottery Museum and Roslyn Works
in the snow January 2023
Photo courtesy of Phil Crow ABIPP ARPS