Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery & Tiles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this early 20th century image, Pilkington's factory and kilns can be seen on the right of the image, with Fletcher's Canal in the foreground.

Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery & Tiles, in Clifton, Salford, Greater Manchester, was a manufacturer of tiles, vases and bowls. The company was established in 1892 at Clifton Junction, alongside Fletcher's Canal.

Today the site is occupied by Pilkington's Tiles Group PLC

[edit] History

In 1889 the Clifton and Kearsley Coal Company sank a pair of pit shafts with the intention of working the coal seams lying adjacent to the geological feature known as the Pendleton fault. The work however, was made increasingly difficult due to the excessive quantity of water that was encountered. When it became clear that the work would not produce coal the four Pilkington brothers decided to use the marl that had been encountered to make white and coloured glazed bricks or tiles, however the marl was unsuitable for this task.

By chance the secretary of the coal company knew Mr. William Burton who was a chemist with Josiah Wedgwood and Sons. Mr.Burton tested the marl and suggested that a more commercial venture would be to make tiles. The use of decorative tiles was at that time becoming quite fashionable and they were in high demand. The site of the proposed factory had many natural advantages. It was adjacent to Fletcher's Canal. It was close by Clifton Junction railway station, and there was abundant coal nearby in the local Wet Earth Colliery, along the same canal.

The pottery itself chose the name 'Lancastrian' for the new ware because it was sited in the county of Lancaster. At a later date some of the more famous glazes took their name from Manchester and hence "Cunian" glazes were named. Other famous glazes were used, e.g. Sunstone, Eggshell, merged and curdled glazes and fiery crystalline and aventurine.^[1]. Glazes of different textures were also produced. These 'fruit skin' glazes had surfaces like orange peel or apricot.

The pottery also exhibited it's work at the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908 in London.^[2]

In 1913 King George V and Queen Mary visited Lord Derby where several Lancastrian vases were proudly displayed. It was then that permission was granted for the Royal warrant to be used and the firm became Pilkington's Royal Lancastrian pottery company.