The Red House Cone is located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a 90-foot (27 m) high conical brick structure with a diameter of 60 feet (18 m), used for the production of glass.[1] It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936[2], when the company moved to a new facility at Vine Street.[3] It is one of only four cones remaining in the United Kingdom.[4]
It is the best preserved of only four such structures in the UK and is currently used as a museum by Dudley Council. At the site are craft shops, demonstrations of glass blowing, a cafe, shop, and provision for temporary exhibits.[5] Visitors are able to climb a platform to view more closely the interior of the cone.
Until mid 2009, Stuart Crystal still had their main retail unit on the site, and for many years previously had a factory unit on the opposite side of the road. The firm became part of the Waterford Wedgwood group which was world renowned, however went into administration in January 2009 meaning the store unfortunately closed.
A 1-acre (4,000 m2) site, on which the cone stands, was sold by John and Ann Southwell and Rebecca Stokes was sold to Richard Bradley, a wealthy glass-manufacturer, on June 21, 1788. It is believed that Bradley began construction on the site soon after purchase, meaning that the cone would date to around 1790. The cone was built by Bradley in partnership with his brother-in-law, George Ensell, for the manufacture of window glass. Ensell installed a moving lehr in the cone, which remains today and is the only surviving one in the world.[1]
The cone received Grade II* listed building status on September 23, 1966.[6]