Wedgwood Pottery Then and Now

In Brief.

The World of Wedgwood is a visitor centre located with the main Wedgwood pottery factory. Wedgwood has been making up-market pottery in (or now close to) Stoke-on-Trent since 1759. The factory is now in a suburban location, and has well developed visitor facilities. Factory tours can be booked in advance, there is a modern museum with a comprehensive collection of Wedgwood products covering the whole history of the company, and there is an impressive tea room, reassuringly devoid of disposable cups.

Josiah Wedgwood

What's Here.

There are several different attractions on site that could seem like the focal point of a visit. Having booked the factory tour, my assumption was that it would be the high point, but it seems that for many the tea room is the main draw.

The factory tour involves meandering through various spaces where different types of pottery are being worked on, from cups and teapots to pots and ornaments. This factory is in marked contrast to the scale and impressive logistics of just-in-time manufacturing at Jaguar. At Wedgwood, the airy factory seems as much about craft as manufacturing; there are certainly substantial ovens, but most work is being done by hand, including adding glazes, hand finishing decorative patterns, adding handles, working with lithographs, etc. The tour guide seems to know most of the people working there by name, and many have been there for their entire careers. Pottery factories haven't always been as civilised as this, but it is good to see refined traditional skills in practice in the 21st century.

A trio of cakes.


Quite a high proportion of the visitors seem to have been on site for the tea room. This shares a large space with the Wedgwood shop, overlooking a courtyard.  I had both morning coffee (as depicted) and lunch here, and it's a civilised place to pass some time.

The museum, now hosting the V&A Wedgwood collection, is in a modern building adjacent to the factory and tea room. The museum is organised chronologically, tracking the history of the business alongside pottery trends and fashions, all accompanied by an extensive collection of Wedgwood products of a wide range of styles from throughout the last 250 years.  

Practicalities.

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 58 miles

Drive Time: 80 minutes

Price: $$ - for tour; Museum is free.

Parking: There is a free carpark on site.

Food and Drink: There is a stylish cafe, open for coffees, lunches and afternoon teas.  The site also hosts an outside cafe (not open during my visit in the winter) and there is a special-occasions restaurant, Lunar, on site.

Retail Therapy: There is a souvenir shop with various clothes, cards and gift items. There is also the opportunity to purchase Wedgwood goods, and another shop on site sells pottery from the competition. 

Child Friendly: It's not really a site for primary aged kids.

Toilets: Yes.

Do it justice in: The tour is around an hour. The museum: 60 minutes.  The cafe is at seat service, so best to take your time.

Inside-Outside: 100:0


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