Stoke-on-Trent might not spring to mind as a top choice for a short break but the city has much to offer as I was soon to discover on my recent weekend stay. Stoke celebrated its 100th anniversary as a city in June so there was no better time to visit with a full calendar of events planned throughout 2025. Stoke-on-Trent was formed in 1925 with the amalgamation of the six towns of Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall, creating the world’s leading centre for ceramics production known as ‘The Potteries’.
Getting there:
Stoke-on-Trent is easily accessible being located midway between Manchester and Birmingham, with direct rail services to London Euston taking only 90 minutes.
Suggested three day Stoke-on-Trent itinerary
Day 1:
Middleport Pottery
Our first morning in Stoke started off with a visit to Middleport Pottery in Burslem, famous for its blue and white Burleigh tableware. We joined a 90 minute factory tour led by an enthusiastic guide who had spent most of his working life at the pottery.
Tours commence in the Victorian offices in the Lodge which is laid out just as they would have been 100 years ago. We learnt that the business was established in 1851 at the Central Pottery in Burslem, then known as Hulme and Booth which was taken over in 1862 by William Leigh and Frederick Burgess. The company then traded as Burgess & Leigh with their trademark “Burleigh”, used from the 1930s, being a combination of the two names.
After hearing about the company’s history, we were led through to the factory where we explored each stage of production, discovering how a lump of clay is transformed into a piece of pottery. Crockery at Middleport is still hand made in the traditional methods, largely unchanged since the 1880’s, with some of the factory workers having spent their entire working lives there.
Following the tour we explored the heritage areas of the pottery including the Victorian bottle kiln, the original worker’s bathhouse and the factory’s fully restored 1888 William Boulton steam engine. Before leaving we popped into the attractive canal side cafe for lunchtime tea and scones served on their famous Burleigh tableware. Middleport Pottery
Lemmy Statue
It was then just a five minute drive to the centre of Burslem to view the newly unveiled Lemmy statue of the Motörhead frontman taking pride of place in the singer’s hometown. The memorial, which stands on a plinth was designed by Andy Edwards to commemorate 10 years since the rocker’s death and 50 years since the band was formed. The town was so proud of Lemmy that they have nicknamed the town Burslemmy, with the market place taking the name Lemmy Plaza.
To one side of the square stands the Barewall Art Gallery which has become an unofficial visitor centre for the statue with its walls displaying photographs and memorabilia. It was good to see that the gallery constantly had people streaming in to pay homage to Lemmy by signing the visitors book. Barewall Gallery
Emma Bridgewater
Continuing on from Burslem, it was then just a short hop back in the car to the Emma Bridgewater factory in Hanley. I was excited to be going there as I’ve always been a fan of their polka dot mugs for which the company is most famous.
Unlike Middleport Pottery, Emma Bridgewater is a relatively young company having created their first pieces in 1985 before moving production to the current site in 1996. The traditional Victorian factory lies alongside the Caldon canal and produces 1.3 million pieces a year.
One hour factory tours are available, alongside pottery painting sessions across the courtyard in the Decorating Studio. We decided to unleash our creative talent by decorating milk jugs using foam sponges to apply the paint. The helpful staff gave us tips on how much paint to apply to the sponges and provided us with some old pots to practice on before moving on to our milk jugs.
It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon and by the end of the session we were both pleased with our creations. We left them to be fired and will look forward to receiving them in the post in a couple of weeks time. Emma Bridgewater
Dinner at Lunar, World of Wedgwood
We’d arranged to have dinner at Lunar on the World of Wedgwood estate. This fine dining restaurant has transformed the former Dining Hall into an elegant restaurant. The name Lunar was inspired by the Lunar Society where visionary minds including scientists and industrialists Josiah Wedgwood, Joseph Priestley and Erasmus Darwin gathered to enjoy fine dining and to participate in debates.
We were greeted at the door by Ben who explained the concept behind Lunar. The restaurant is divided into three sections with a stunning lunar moon hanging down from the high ceiling in the main area. Moving into the library we were invited to select The Botanic Garden by Erasmus Darwin from the bookcase and as we pulled out the book a surprise was in store as a secret door opened to reveal the Botanic Garden themed cocktail bar where we were invited to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail.
On returning to the main restaurant we were seated in a cosy corner beneath the warm glow of the lunar installation. Service throughout our meal was friendly yet attentive with each course resembling an artwork on a plate as it was all beautifully presented on Wedgwood tableware and with Waterford Crystal glasses.
My starter of smoked salmon terrine was light and flavoursome before moving on to a main of dry aged fillet of beef served in a wine jus with seasonal greens. Being unable to resist a dessert, I opted for poached pear served on a bed of creamed rice with orange and toasted almonds. Dining at Lunar was a gastronomic delight and a memorable experience and with a three course menu at only £49 coupled with reasonably priced drinks, I definitely recommend booking a table. Lunar Wedgwood
Day 2:
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
After a good night’s sleep and breakfast at our hotel we started the day at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley to learn about the history of ceramics in the city. Before entering the museum we paused to view the statue outside that celebrates Stoke-on-Trent’s most famous literary son, the author Arnold Bennett. He was born in Hanley in 1867 and was one of England’s greatest authors best known for his depictions of The Potteries in ‘Anna of the Five Towns’ and ‘Clayhanger’ which I enjoyed reading.
The museum offers free entry and is open daily. We took a self guided tour of the museum beginning in the 17th century when pottery started to be produced in the area due to its abundance of coal and clay. The ceramics industry soon flourished with world famous names including Wedgwood, Spode and Royal Doulton all establishing factories in the city. We strolled through the ‘Street of Life in Stoke’ where we envisaged living in the past and gazed in wonderment at the old chemist’s shop with its small wooden drawers filled with pills and potions. Also on display was an antiquated fish and chip shop range, a cosy potter’s cottage and the interior of a village pub.
A highlight of the museum is the Spitfire Gallery as the RAF donated Spitfire RW388 to Stoke-on-Trent in 1972. The aeroplane is a symbol of great design and engineering and represents the link between Stoke-on-Trent and the Spitfire’s designer, Reginald Joseph Mitchell who was born and educated in north Staffordshire. He designed 24 different aeroplanes during his career including flying boats, high-speed racing seaplanes, and the Supermarine Spitfire.
Upstairs, we explored the world renowned Staffordshire Hoard gallery followed by the main ceramics gallery and temporary art displays showcasing 100 years of Stoke. Not to be missed was ‘the Jesus and the Pope’ installation by Robbie Williams who was born and raised in the city. Robbie partnered with a ceramics firm to create these multi coloured clay creations which were debuted in London last year. The singer described his drawings as “inklings”, personal reflections or observations of others that are drawn in a vivid pop art style.
Bethesda Gardens: Art on your doorstep
Continuing with the art theme, we popped across the road to the Bethesda Gardens to view the National Gallery’s ‘Art on your doorstep’ initiative. Stoke-on-Trent is the first partner in this new national touring project comprising 15 printed masterpieces in an outdoor exhibition as part of the city’s centenary celebrations. Each framed painting is reproduced at life size revealing hidden details.
Gladstone Pottery Museum
Back in the car it was then just a short drive to Longton to discover more of Stoke’s pottery heritage at the Gladstone Pottery Museum. Before looking around we popped into the museum cafe for some lunch. Taking pride of place on the menu was the local delicacy of Staffordshire oatcakes so we opted for them. Unlike Scottish oatcakes which are a type of biscuit, the ones in Staffordshire are flat, savoury pancakes served with a choice of fillings. They were very tasty and set us up nicely our self guided museum tour.
We explored the Victorian bottle kilns and toured the former factory viewing the tools, machines, and techniques used to produce the pottery that made the city famous. There was so much to see that I would suggest allowing 2-3 hours to look around as alongside the museum there is also a large tile gallery and a fascinating ‘Flushed with pride’ toilet exhibition which are both included in the admission price. Not only that, visitors can pre-book a session on the potters wheel for only £5 to create a bowl or jug to take home as a lasting souvenir.
You may have seen Gladstone Pottery on television as it is the filming location for The Great Pottery Throw Down. The show celebrates pottery making and invites contestants to showcase their skills. Birdbaths made in this year’s series are currently on display in the museum. Gladstone Museum
Roberto’s Pizza House
We then spent a couple of hours back at the hotel before enjoying dinner at Roberto’s Pizza House in Hanley. A popular Stoke institution for over 44 years this Italian restaurant with its red and white gingham tablecloths and bustling atmosphere is definitely the place to enjoy an authentic meal whilst visiting Stoke. We were seated in a corner, window table which was the perfect position to watch pizza being prepared in the open kitchen.
There’s an extensive menu which spoilt us for choice but I eventually settled on a starter of mussels cooked in white wine, cream and garlic. The sauce was so delicious that I mopped it up with crusty bread. For mains I opted for the pan fried sea bream served with a seafood risotto which was fresh and flavoursome. Across the table, the house special of sirloin steak blended with mushrooms, brandy and peppercorns tossed in pasta was declared perfection on a plate. Sipping our wine we reflected on what a lovely day we’d spent and with one more to come we were in no rush to go home.
Day 3:
Biddulph Grange Garden
After a leisurely breakfast we checked out of the hotel, loaded the car with our luggage and within 25 minutes had reached the Biddulph Grange Garden. The weather couldn’t have been better for a morning exploring this stunning Victorian garden. Originally created by Darwin contemporary James Bateman as a collection of plant gardens from across the globe, Biddulph Grange has more recently been restored by the National Trust to be close to his original vision.
With winding pathways leading to secluded gardens we explored its tranquil beauty. Not to be missed is the garden’s show piece Chinese Garden with its bright red bridge and temple building. Other standout features include the lakeside walk and Cheshire Cottage. Midway through our visit we enjoyed tea and scones out on the cafe terrace before completing our tour of the garden.
Spode Heritage Trust Museum
A 20 minute drive back to The Potteries led us to the Spode Museum in Stoke which is free to visit. The museum stands on part of its original factory site and although not very big is worth visiting for its displays of Spode ceramics and memorabilia. In one of the smaller rooms a demonstration of transfer-ware was taking place which was interesting to observe.
The Spode Museum Shop offers a range of antique and vintage Spode and the adjoining Little Vintage Tearoom was the perfect place to conclude our weekend in Stoke-on-Trent. With tea and cakes served on Spode’s famous Blue Italian tableware we raised our teacups in celebration of Stoke-on-Trent’s centenary year. At the end of the year Stoke will pass the baton on to both Salford and Portsmouth who received their city status in 1926.
Stay:
During our weekend in Stoke we stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton conveniently located at Festival Park.
This modern hotel boasts 147 comfortable bedrooms alongside an adjoining Georgian conference centre constructed in 1769, once the home of Josiah Wedgwood. With an attractive restaurant, bar lounge, indoor swimming pool, spa and gym it was an ideal base from which to explore the area. Doubletree by Hilton
During the weekend we were guests of Visit Stoke and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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