Stoke On Trent combines ceramic history with museums, industrial heritage and green spaces. Visitors choosing the city for a trip can focus on different things: historic manufacturing methods, important collections or outdoor activities. These different themes give you a starting point for deciding what you want your stay to be about.
Ceramics and industrial history
On the original factory site, the Spode Museum showcases Spode ceramics, artefacts and the history of Spode. The Blue Room features hundreds of blue transfer-printed pieces made by Spode between around 1790 and 1847. The Spode Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm; admission is free. Check opening hours before your visit.
Moorcroft also focuses on the manufacturing process. The factory building was constructed in 1913. A guided tour takes visitors through the original factory and covers craft techniques such as mould making, slip casting, throwing, tube lining, hand painting, kiln firing and glazing. Booking arrangements and tour content may vary; check the tour conditions in advance.
The tour at Middleport Pottery shows how Burleigh Pottery is made using the same craft methods as in the 1880s. Check availability before your trip. The site also includes the Heritage Offices, a steam engine, the Grade II listed Bottle Kiln, the Ceramic Design Archive and Harper Street. Creative workshops and craft markets add to the offer; their programme may vary seasonally.
Other stops highlight different aspects of industrial heritage: the Etruria Industrial Museum houses Britain’s last working steam-powered potter’s mill. Access to events there is limited to specific occasions. The Tile Gallery at Gladstone Pottery Museum displays one of the country’s finest collections of decorative tiles.
Museums and special collections
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery brings together collections of fine and decorative art, costumes, local history, archaeology, natural history and Staffordshire ceramics. Exhibitions and displays may change. The museum is also home to the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever discovered. The museum’s City Archives includes a reading room with 344 cubic metres of archival and local history material.
Beyond ceramic history, Ford Green Hall and Waterworld offer other themes. Ford Green Hall is a 17th-century timber-framed farmhouse with a small period garden. Waterworld features Thunderbolt, described as the UK’s first trapdoor-drop water slide. Together, they span everything from a historic building with a garden to a standout water park attraction.
Parks and outdoor activities
Hanley Park is a Grade II* listed historic landscape. Fishing is permitted here as a Community Water with a valid Environment Agency rod licence. Three play areas include a toddler area, a sensory play area and an adventure playground. Park Hall Country Park was designated Stoke On Trent’s only National Nature Reserve in 2002. The park is characterised by lakes, sandstone ravines, woodland, heathland and fishing opportunities. Central Forest Park offers opportunities for walking, cycling, informal sports and skateboarding. The parks therefore differ in both their landscapes and the activities mentioned here.
City trail and regional cuisine
The Living Heritage City Trail runs from the Spode Museum car park on Elenora Street towards the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery on Bethesda Street. For a culinary addition, try the Staffordshire oatcake: a savoury pancake made from oat flour that is part of Stoke On Trent’s regional cuisine. When planning your trip, you can choose how to balance ceramic and industrial history, museum collections, green spaces and regional cuisine.
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