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The pride of the Potteries?

Local illustrator and designer Ian Thompson argues that the building of an iconic, futuristic bottle kiln will be a compelling symbol of the Potteries' past and future. What do you think?

Ian Thompson explains in his own words how he came up with the project in the first place and the reasons behind his design...

"In my youth travelling to school in Longton I never really noticed them. To me, they were large, dirty buildings that were almost invisible tombstones to an industrial past. As with all things, when you get older you begin to appreciate things like the environment in which you live. In my case, bottle kilns began to engage my curiosity.

This curiosity led me to discover I had grandparents and great grandparents who worked in the pottery industry hand painting Fine Bone China. Pieces of their work have been saved and are now displayed in the living room bureau at my parent鈥檚 house. It made me realise that these strange looking structures I had rode past so many times to school, were actually a link to my past.

The more I thought about these buildings the more I began to open my eyes and notice them scattered around the city. It was like finding an old favourite toy: whilst searching for something completely different, it bought about a feeling of pride in the city in which I lived. Above all I could not help but feel a sense of loss when seeing bottle kilns in a state of neglect, a discarded, withered has-been, no longer functional, no longer wanted and no longer anybody鈥檚 responsibility. A masonry vagrant.

Sense of loss

Fortunately, I was not the only person to feel this sense of loss. The public, council and businesses bandied together and took responsibility. Subsequently over the years they have helped to restore bottle kilns and integrate them back into our skyline via new, modern building projects. Despite many of these structures being demolished, we have managed to hold onto around 45 in total, which are now listed buildings.

The outer shape of the bottle kiln known as the hovel is an intriguing form - a curvaceous line looking cumbersome at the base flowing upwards into a thinner more elegant funnel. Being an illustrator and having a vivid imagination, to me it resembled a rather large, overweight man battling to keep his beer belly under control! That鈥檚 why I loved these buildings - they had character.

I finally understood why people were so passionate about them, they not only represented an industry and a livelihood to workers, but they also represented the character of the people in Stoke on Trent -听 the humour, friendly, hard working folk who made the city famous for its produce. So famous in fact, that it became known even to this day after its trade.

Acting as a beacon

As a designer and illustrator, I became interested in how I could create something as a tribute not only to the bottle kiln, but also to Stoke-on-Trent and its inhabitants. I wanted to produce something iconic which not only captured the history of the city, but also looks to the future, acting as a beacon to all who live here and to new visitors alike.

My sense of pride in Stoke-on-Trent and the realisation that few people outside of Staffordshire would probably know where our city is, led me to think of the Angel of the North in Gateshead. I wanted to make a structure to rival other iconic structures in the United Kingdom and place Stoke-on-Trent on the map.

Few people other than those in the Northeast prior to the construction of the Angel of the North would have known where in the country Gateshead was located. The success of that project and sheer number of visitors to Gateshead made me feel that our city deserves the same recognition.

The shape, although some may say predictable, takes the form of the bottle kiln. Many sculpture and public art projects have included this shape as the basis for their design and for good reason. Bottle kilns are unique to our area. Their flowing form should be celebrated because its profile silhouetted our skyline for years and with my project, I wanted that profile to once again be a dominant feature. This basic form symbolises the ceramic industrial history.

Unity of the six towns

The shape of the kiln would flow as six separate panels. Each panel would represent another unique feature of our city, the six towns which form Stoke-on-Trent. The six panels reaching upward grow closer in proximity to emulate the elegant neck of the bottle kiln, representing the unity of the six towns.

Our industry not only survived on ceramic production, Steel also played an important role, which is represented by the chrome metallic material used to form each of the panels. The choice of material is important for a second reason: the metallic panels also symbolise the future. The simplified, sleek flowing line of the original bottle kiln is streamlined with a smooth clean modern finish.

Here I was trying to show how Stoke-on-Trent can evolve and compete with other large cities in the future. The highly reflective surface mirrors the cityscape and forms a less obtrusive structure allowing it to blend and reflect the environment.

Fuelling our industrial past

The kiln in my pictures uses Glebedale Park in Fenton for its proposed location. Glebedale was formally a colliery, which closed in 1965, which represents another industry within Stoke on Trent - coal mining. Placing the structure on this site symbolises the foundation or fuel behind our industrial past.

This location is very prominent and can be seen for miles. The reclamation of the colliery has also provided an attractive visitors area for tourists wishing to visit the kiln. Many pathways and picnic areas are already established and would provide a perfect city tour rendezvous point.

Tourism would I think be encouraged by the scale of such a structure. Drivers passing through the city on the A500 and A50 would have clear views. The entrance from the two junctions north and south of the city via the M6 would provide easy access and provide a stunning welcoming structure from either direction. In addition visitors from the M1 via the A50 would be able to see the structure approaching from the other side of the city.

Park and ride

We could also use the area around the iconic bottle kiln as car park/park and ride. From there, people could be ferried to the numerous factory shops around the city as well as other attractions such as the Wedgwood and Gladstone Museums.

I feel that we as a city can survive and be successful. This is only my vision, one idea of putting our city on the map and attracting more visitors to Stoke-on-Trent. The bottle kiln has symbolised our past and economic successful days in the 1900鈥檚, for me it also now symbolises regeneration and growth once again, giving our city a revitalised identity and pride in our heritage and our future."

Ian Thompson

last updated: 22/12/2009 at 09:09
created: 12/09/2006

Have Your Say

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS. THIS BOARD IS NOW CLOSED.

mum
im not sure it will help regenerate the potteries, but it will be something to celebrate our history.

Dan
I think this is a wonderful idea and thought for years we need some sense of identity emphasised through the city skyline (as it is rubbish in comparison to other places). It could really spearhead the regeneration of the city and help forge a new identity instead of us being viewed as a failed industrial cess pit.

alex
just moved here after studying here there seems to me to be more than enough great big silver statues around the place ( is it a building? if it is daft place for one, if its a sculpture seems t be a blot on the landscape there) that probably cost a lot and t my mind look tacky and uninspired, the bottle kilns that are left are beautiful and protected a great big silver version on a hill dosent seem to me to bear any relation to theose or seem anywhere near as evocotive of the past glory of stoke,there are plenty of much worthier causes that the money could be spent on better sanitation and refuse/recycling, repavind streets and cleaning up the current buildings that are quite often gloriouse examples of the architecture of there time, what about funding comunity driven projects that can be simple but employ the time and efforts of a lot of the locals to bring a community spirit back to areas, the mass unemployment is the biggest problem the comunity face as faced with the prospects of never earning your way out of the poverty your in leads to disolutionment and resentment.

Geoff
surely a a giant oatcake would be better?

John Barton, North Wales
Having spent a few years living and working in "the Potteries" back in the 70's and 80's, people then were appologising about the state of the area. They had (deserved) pride in their past, but disolusionment with the present and dispair for the future. Since then, even more changes (mostly NOT for the better) have taken place. I say YES- go for it! It represents the six towns and the main three industries that made the area what it was/is. It shows the unity that has transformed the "Poteries" 6 towns into 1 closer community without loosing each individual identity. But nothing will work on it's own. Like a jigsaw, all the pieces need to unite, so look for all the other good comments that could be incorporated with this idea. Good luck

Pauline Grosvenor
I think it is a great idea. It is important for the people of stoke to remember their heritage. Many families have worked in the industry for hundreds of years in great hardship and low wages. Personally, I don't see any problem with the structure, but I do agree with one of your readers, it would be relevent to use the kiln as a cafe and pottery museum etc.

Sally
I think this is a great idea. We should celebrate Stoke's past as well as planning it's future.

Doris
Although it may look a little out of place in that location, it is a beautiful building.I vote yes.

Jono
Coming from the North East(and now studying at Staffs Uni) and knowing how much of a dump some places there are, parts of Stoke particuarly Stoke town centre, are even more of a dump than parts of boro(which takes some doing) so if it would encourage money to be invested in Stoke then yea, otherwise just knock down Stoke town centre and put it there!!!Comparisons are being drawn to the Angel of The North, but the question here is would such a structure be embraced by the locals as much as the Angel has?

p.p.c
as a 55 year old i can still see the potbanks as i drive round in my mind, but alas all are gone. we need something to to keep the past alive so our grandchildren can tell there grandchildren that we made the best "pots" in the world for 250years so why not have a land mark

Lynn Harrison
I think the bottle kiln looks horrible. It would be better to preserve the original kilns. Spend the money on real regeneration. Better parks, areas for teenagers to use for football or organized games etc; I realy dont think anyone is interested in the historical side of the pottery industry anymore. They are disgusted at it all being outsourced to Indonisia and other countries and hundreds of people looseing there jobs.

Antony Forst
I think that this Bottle Kiln representation would be fine. We need a landmark to inform stangers where they are.

PaulOwen
Ian Thopson should find another job, we don't need sculptures of bottle kilns in stoke. this lacks originality making something big doesn't make it iconic, yes the angel of the north would have been crap if it was only 8ft tall but that doesn't meen you can do the same to a bottle kiln. he shoould stick to what he does and let antony gormly build us a 1000ft tall robbie williams with giant angel wings, or a giant clarice cliff teapot!!

Simon Leeming (Orig. from Stoke-on-Trent)
I think it is a fantastic idea afterall stoke is build on heavy industry and we should not loose site of this. Isn't it time we British are proud of our heritage regardless of what form it took; it is this what has made the UK so open a society today

Bill Voyce
Also a past graduate of NSP, I agree with this Barstow chap. Its a second rate idea, it lacks originality. I love the Potteries and often visit to shop, worship at the gallery, buy oatcakes, watch a film. Real brick bottle kilns are beautiful objects with resonant beauty. Build something new.

andrew jackson ( germany )
i think i'ts a great idea.With living in Germany, and not visiting Stoke too often you loose a bit of how your home town looked like, i would be immpresed to see souch a monument on my next visit. Come on Stoke-on-trent treat yourself to it.

dj dazzer
ill tell u what i think m8 . i think theres so much money been spent on loads of crap such as the futuristic bottle kiln and the metal tree they should be thinking off y we are here today from all the older much stronger than us who were here in the war and had to put up hardly nowt to eat and here we are spending money on crap the older guys and lasys did so much for us and we repay them with nothing at all gosh i wish i was an mp id be there for all the pepole who looked after us with out a dowt

John Floodgate
Yes I think it is a great idea - but I think like several others that it should have some function too. A revolving restaurant at the top? An art gallery inside? One in each of the 6 towns made from different materials: glass, clay, metals...

David Peake
Stoke needs to get out of the dark ages and wake up to the fact that it cannot rely on past history to make it great again.Stoke needs to look forward and not be so engendered by the potteries. Yes we were the centre of the world for a few decades but look at us now?! We need something that says that Stoke is looking beyond it's heritage to something new and exciting. And i don;t think a silver bottle kiln will do the trick.

Keith Ditchburn
I think it is a fantastic idea.I too spent my college years in Stoke and have been back several times since. I love the place and it deserves this kind of recognition.

Russ W
If the council was truly serious about the regeneration of the city it would have jumped on this imaginative idea and done all its in power to implement it.

Peter J Washington
Absolutely brilliant Idea, lit up at night what great site it would be.

shaun
i like the idea cus it looks kinda kool but i think we shud have it in the city centre where the untiy house used to be and even possibly turn the inside into restaurants and shops

pauline shaw nee brookes
I think the icon is a great idea,and would most definatly help with the regeneration of s.o.t, my husband& I left s.o.t. in 1962,we now live in Australia and we keep in touch with our old way of life,and are always interested in new developments, so keep up with the good work.

Kelvin Evans
I think that its a great idea

riz
i don't think so..i can't see the point of builing it there

Michaela M
As i am only 15 years old I have not witnessed the city's history and feel this is an excellent way to preserve our past, also further to the unsupporting comments relating to the cost of this project, i think it is obvious to say that art like this attracts investment into the city and therefore will pay for itself very quickly. Lets face it the city needs brightening up! Come on, lets give our children something to be proud of!

Dr Bajwa
Every city needs an icon and this icon by Ian Thompson is just right instead of spending money on small projects. We should seriously consider investing on a permanent glamorous landmark for the city.

ICMBOY
Anyting to improve Stoke and the surrounding area has got to be good. As my dad used to say before he passed "Stoke lad is like a fine ale, gets better the older it gets".

Lee Lehane (Broadcast Journalist)
I disagree I think the bottle kiln would appear as being too futuristic an be an eye sore for the locals.

phoebe
What is a bottle kiln, we alway's called them bottle ovens. This seems to me to be another waste of money. We would be better using the money to improve our services for older people

daniel hemmerich
One of the greatest industries England ever brought to the world, and the one I have spent my life working in. Why not commemorate the great business of potting. And who knows, a reminder such as this might even have an effect of reinvigorating an all but gone industry, to again take a position of leadership, odder things have happened. Build it, and be proud!

Richard Sutcliffe
Oh dear. This City needs a vision for the future not the past.

Al
Look at Stoke town, and some of the other 5 town centres!! I live in Stoke and feel it is a real dump...the businesses and shops are disgraceful on the whole, and not really a great advert for visitors to our area. I think the design is great, but feel the money at this time could be better spent on other areas like attracting more profitable businesses and general commerce to the city. It's well and good having a beutiful futuristic beacon on the horizon, but please lets try and make this city more forward thinking and a better place place to live first!!!

FadedApe
Anywhere else and such an iconic image would be received with overwhelming pride and excitement; however, in Stoke, and speaking as someone that was born there, I feel it would not be appreciated, least of all by the chav brigade that seem to dominate the Potteries scene at the moment. Maybe a giant statue wearing a football shirt (as everyday wear) and eating a Big Mac would be more apt...

James Downs
Great idea! It's about time someone came up with a lasting memory of the area's heritage. The location would be perfect and be a local landmark. I don't see why people would be against it, it's better than another warehouse or industrial estate.

Dylan
The bottle kiln was all about function, I think that the design is very interesting but it isn't functional, it needs some kind of purpose.

Rose C
Disgusting :(

Jim, Camberley
Great idea.......but everyone I knew always called them bottle ovens.

Simon, Birmingham
Finally something this fantastic city can be proud of, having seen the Whittle Arches in Coventry, Stoke needs a focal point but will it happen? a mixture of apethy by the council and cynicism from the city's enhabitants means that many of these projects never get off the ground

Lee T
I love the bottle kilns, they add more of a character to Stoke and it's a shame they're aren't more of them around!

Christine Bailey
i think this is a ridiculous idea and how long would it be before it was covered in graffiti

Owen Barstow
I studied Fine Art at North Staffs Poly during the 1980s and though I have lived in London for over 15 years, I still have a great affection for Stoke. However... this project is the sort boring, provincial, unimaginative and utterly predictable rubbish that was set as a first year project way back then. It presses all the right buttons: history, ceramics, steel, a significant past and the hope of successful future etc., but it鈥檚 crushingly obvious. The reason why The Angel is so successful is because it鈥檚 not so site specific and it鈥檚 by a world class artist. I agree with Izzy: Invest in restoration of what remains of Stoke鈥檚 past and spend some money making Stoke a WORLD CLASS venue for contemporary art 鈥� Think 鈥淰enice Biennale鈥� or 鈥淔rieze Art Fair鈥�. Contemporary art has never been more popular or lucrative. That should bring the odd millionaire in and maybe a few oatcakes will get sold on the back of it.

joyce
i agree with izzy, why not restore the old kilns they are a part of stoke ,s history

denise o'sullivan
what an excellent idea, everyone should back the propsal

jo
yes ,so you dont get lost.

Memnonia
A great idea! It's about time Stoke had something like this. It's a unique idea and I think it would reflect really well on Stoke. Maybe make it look a bit more forward thinking and give it a bit of pride. Come on council, be daring!

Peter M
Looks like a great lightening conductor. Cannot wait to see that particular lightshow!

Julian Howe, Aylesbury
As a person that was born in Stoke on Trent I think this ia a great idea. It will be a tribute to all three industries that supported many thousands of people for a great number of years in Stoke on Trent. It will also be a reminder for future generations of the their heritage and the important link in the industrial revolution chain that Stoke on Trent and their forefathers played.

lewis harding
tell the guy who designed this monument to get a life

seren,18
mint idea, but will never happen it never does with stoke!!! plus all the chavs would ruin it for everyone, i am defo a supporter for this but i think would be better off in central forest, with the development goin on there it would fit and view able from hanley!

Peter
I think only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can truly help the regeneration of Stoke-on-Trent,however the futuristic bottle kiln looks good and would be nice to replace unity house if it could be built on a large scale...skyscraper height wise.Go for it!!!

Les W
Wow! What an amazing idea! As a former steelman I can relate exactly to the feelings expressed by Ian.....lets get on with it and prove that the Potteries is not dead yet!!

Tim from Stoke
I think this is a monstrosity and a total waste of money. There are more worthy community projects that could do with the money.

Trevor Aston
A great idea. It looks good, better than the Angel of the North and will get the Potteries noticed.

izzy
GET REAL!!!!! If you truly want to immortalise the pottery industry of Stoke on Trent and our industrial heritage, Start by redeveloping and conserving the existing bottle kilns in and around the area that are the truly stunning marvels and testament to our brilliant past, but are currently being left to rot and replaced by truly ugly metal monstrosities. It is about time the council got there act together and did something that was actually worth while and not a HUGE WASTE of MONEY.

Paul Barber
I must agree with Tony, waht a complete waste of tax payers money. Trentham Gardens has done a brilliant job of giving stoke an attraction with country wide appeal, and with the giant wheel being erected in the near future, and scope for the attraction to keep growing, where is the need? Why not use the money to improve our lives in a more productive way, intead of some deluded peice of "modern art" which by its very premise will be outdated and passed its sell by date in 5-10 years time.

Geoff Allen
Looks interesting, but can Stoke have the money instead? If not, maybe they could melt down the monstrosities in Stoke and etruria to make this one.

Evandro Guimaraes
Wonderful work Ian, well done. I think it should be aproved and done.

Steve
I'm usually dead against this kind of thing. They're a waste of money and don't even look good. But I really like this. Would love to know more about it. Is there a chance this will happen?

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Local History

The pride of the Potteries?

Sense of loss

Acting as a beacon

Unity of the six towns

Fuelling our industrial past

Park and ride

Ian Thompson

Have Your Say

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