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Shelley History - The Places



There are many locations and buildings associated with the production of Shelley and Wileman china and earthenware and the families who worked there. We are always interested to here from anyone who worked at the factory. If you have any knowledge of the buildings please get in touch with us.

The Foley
The Foley 1922 O/S Map
The Foley is the furthest portion of the three-fold division making up the Fentons, and is situated entirely in Fenton-Culvert. It is not known whether the name derives from the Lords Foley, former proprietors of the adjoining manor of Longton, where they were instrumental in opening up the iron mines in the Normacot area. By the end of the 16th century the furnace there was producing a significant proportion of Britain's pig iron. Foley House was situated just south of King Street between the districts of Fenton and Longton known latterly as Lane End.
The potteries grew up alongside the mine workings making use of the coal seam (the access to clay being only a minor reason for their location).
In 1829 The Foley had only a few houses and three manufactories in it - Messrs. Elkin, Knight and Bridgwood., C. Bourne Esq. (Both earthenware manufacturers0 and Mr. Myatt (listed in the 1828/9 Trade Directory for the Potteries as a shopkeeper).
Elkin, Knight & Co. were the predominant potters in the area, producing goods of a superior quality from premises called Foley Potteries which, in addition to its customary pottery buildings, had the advantage of a powerful Steam Engine and Flint Mill. (See Chronology Page).


(Picture taken from O/S Map - 1922)

The Wileman & Co. Factory

Wileman & Co Factory

The picture above shows an artists impression of the Wileman & Co. factory built in 1894, as it appeared around 1900. The red line, including the dashed part extending eastwards on the map above shows the extent of the area originally occupied by the Wileman factory before 1892.


The Shelley Potteries Factory

Aerial View of Shelley Factory 1939















Aerial view of the Shelley Factory  - circa1930's





The Shelley Factory






This picture, taken from King Street in the early 1960's shows the offices and the sales office.  The position of the sales office, with "Shelley" painted on the end wall, is shown as a solid red rectangle on the 1922 map above between the words "Foley China Works" and "King Street" The extent of the site occupied by the Shelley factory in 1922.








The Gladstone Pottery Museum

The Gladstone Museum

















The Gladstone Pottery Museum





The Gladstone Pottery Museum is situated on Uttoxeter Road, Longton. Thomas and Michael Shelley produced ware on part of this site in the late 1700's.