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Salt, Pepper and Vinegar bottle ovens

James Kent (Ceramic Materials) Ltd, Fountain Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 2HB

  • 06 Sep 2024
  • In person
  • Pre-booking not required

See the three calcining bottle ovens known locally as 'Salt, Pepper and Vinegar' at close quarters and learn about how the manufactured products were used in the local pottery industry.

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.

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