Spode Museum, Industrial heritage museum in City of Stoke-on-Trent, England.
Spode Museum is an industry museum in Stoke-on-Trent, housed in the original factory buildings where the pottery was once made. The collection brings together ceramic objects, production tools, and archival records covering more than two centuries of manufacturing on this site.
The pottery business was founded in 1774 and grew into one of England's leading ceramic manufacturers before closing in 2008. The museum opened in 1987, while the factory was still running, to begin preserving its long manufacturing story.
Many of the objects on display were used daily by factory workers, including hand-painted pattern designs and engraved copper plates that guided production. Walking through the gallery gives a sense of how skilled and methodical the work was, generation after generation.
The museum is within walking distance of the train station, so it is easy to reach without a car. On-site parking is also available, and the building is accessible for visitors using a wheelchair.
The collection holds around 70,000 hand-painted watercolor pattern designs and some 25,000 engraved copper plates dating from the 1790s onward. These original templates show exactly how each decorative motif was planned before it ever reached the clay.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
