World of Wedgwood, Museum in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, England
World of Wedgwood is a museum and visitor center in the village of Barlaston, just south of Stoke-on-Trent, dedicated to the history and making of Wedgwood pottery. The site brings together exhibition galleries, a working factory, creative studios, a tearoom and restaurant, and several shops on a single grounds.
Josiah Wedgwood founded the company in 1759 in Stoke-on-Trent and helped turn English pottery into a product sold across Europe and beyond. The factory eventually moved to Barlaston, where the current visitor site was built around it.
Wedgwood pottery has been part of everyday English life for generations, and the museum shows how certain designs, like the famous blue-and-white pattern, are still being made today. Visitors can try shaping clay at a wheel in the Clay Studio or paint a piece in the decorating studio and take it home later that day.
Entry to the museum gallery is free, but factory tours, studio workshops, and some events require a booking in advance. The site is in Barlaston, a short distance from Stoke-on-Trent railway station, and free car parking is available on site.
The V&A Wedgwood Collection held on site contains nearly 166,000 objects, from original molds to design drawings, though only a small portion is on permanent display. The Alan Wedgwood Reading Room gives researchers and curious visitors access to this archive, but only by appointment.
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