Salt, Pepper and Vinegar bottle ovens
James Kent (Ceramic Materials) Ltd, Fountain Street, Fenton, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 2HB
These three Flint calcination kilns were last fired in 1988. Flint pebbles from the south of England were transported here and loaded in layers with coal into the kilns through the charge doors. After firing the calcined flints become friable and easier to crush. Originally the flint would have been ground dry on a large pan mill, but more recently they were wet ground on ball mills then stored in liquid ('slop') form and transported by tankers to local potteries to be blended with clays and feldspars to make white firing earthenware. Originally Flint bodies were much whiter than sand bodies, but the process was expensive, and with improvements over time made by the bleaching of sand bodies, they were slowly phased out.
The original underground workings are available to view, however access is confined and therefore restricted.
Timings & Tours
- Friday 06 September:
- 1300-1600
Location & directions
James Kent (Ceramic Materials) Ltd, Fountain Street, Fenton, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 2HB
- Contact on day:
- Mark Beresford
- Telephone number:
- +441782744335
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
This is a working site so all visitors must stay within the access areas which will be clearly marked.
