Report - Stoke on Trent Workshops for the Blind August 2019

[Saltburndan1971]

Built on the site of the former Rialto Pottery Works in October 1934 at a cost of £30,000 and were operated by Stoke-on-Trent City Council until two years before their closure (nice move getting shot of a loss maker S o T Council).

This appears to have been a Government work scheme scheme created during the depression.

They were designed in the Art Deco style and this may be their saving grace as the main frontage is planned to be retained in the new housing development.

In 2009 there were 44 employed there and for many years they supplied products to the pottery industry.

Redevelopment is due any time now and thanks to Oldboots who mentioned this site otherwise I would have missed it.

The buildings are sealed up tight and there is 100% CCTV coverage so I merely hopped over the wall, waved my phone at the first camera and proceeded to take pictures whilst ignoring the alarms from the motion sensor cameras.

An overview of the present day site

In its heyday. The workshops are behind the main office frontage and the sales rooms are in the building to the left. There is also what appears to be a caretakers cottage off picture to the right at the front of the site.

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A view out to the road with the caretakers House in the trees to the left

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Thanks for viewing folks.

 

[raisinwing]

Shame you don't seem to have managed to get inside, I presume the last two photos have been taken through windows? (You also seem to have some duplicates)

We've been working on trying to crack this one for ages now with very little to show for it currently. It's gone through various security setups. For a number of years there was permanent on site security before the PIR/CCTV/Alarm system went in. One to keep on at anyway, it has the potential to contain niceties.

 

[MotionlessMike]

Me and @oldboots have been wondering about this one for a while now... Glad you got a chance to check it out.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Nicely written history, you wouldnt get a building like that built for £30,000 now days lol. Nice externals as above shame re no inside ones.

 

[Saltburndan1971]

Sorry about the duplicate pictures folks. I'm only working on my iPhone and although I could see the duplication I couldn't remove one picture without removing both copies.
Yes those internal shots were taken through the front windows.