A replica bottle oven is growing on the grounds of Spode at the moment. It’s going to be a pizza oven at the hotel on the Spode site.
Around the other side of Spode near the Church Street side is the base of an original bottle oven which had been demolished years ago. There are very few real ovens still standing in the city. Many were knocked down or fell into disrepair over the years. Where hundreds once stood and smoke stained the city sky less than fifty are still standing and many of these are in danger of being lost to the history of the city, county, and country.
Even now buddleia and other shrubs are growing in between their bricks, pulling the ovens down in continued dereliction. Hopefully some can be conserved.
For those who don’t know bottle ovens are bottle shaped buildings containing a central kiln which the oven surrounds. Pottery was stacked inside the kiln and fired by stoking fires under the ovens with coal.
Mallaband-Brown 
I am really tempted to build a wood fired kiln like this, but I have already collected half the stones from around here! I really need to get to Stoke on Trent some day!
LikeLike
The BCB British ceramics biannale
LikeLike
Oops hit send to soon! Anyway every two years we have a massive art pottery exhibition on for a month in the China halls of Spode.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would love to be there for that! We don’t have anything like that around here. One day!
LikeLike
It’s only been going for a few years. And having to wait for two years makes it doubly exciting. I will post some photos when it’s on!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes! Please do 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will d
LikeLike
Will do. Sorry hit send too quickly!
LikeLiked by 1 person