Your R System Images - August 2026

[SwampGrizz]

Grumps,
Well done! I’m always impressed with what people can do with bricks, stone, wood, metal, and other building materials. The cone shaped chimney took some skill to accomplish. Thanks for posting.

 

[Grumps]

Pretty colours

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[Photofarmer]

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Local fireworks small town event first time ive done it. 20 seconds way to long lost sharpness

 

[Bucolic Old Sir Henry]

Another bl**dy fantail/pīwakawaka...

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[VanDyck]

Bottle kiln

Interesting structure unique to England, something I was unfamiliar with until viewing your photos.

 

[Grumps]

More bottle kilns (or ovens)

The Acme Marls Pottery Bottle Kilns or bottle ovens known as "The Three Sisters".

(other pictures available on the net, however...)

They are now surrounded by a new housing development on three sides. Not only that, but high fencing has been put around them. And along the one stretch of fencing which isn't part of the development a high urban shubbery has developed blocking all hopes of getting anything but greenery in a shot from that direction (bar using a drone or some very high step ladders).

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Not to be outdone/defeated, I went around and stood in what could be somone's (small) front garden and held the camera at arm's length above my head (to exclude the barred fencing).

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Thankfully I didn't drop the camera

More kiln/pottery stuff to follow.

 

[Grumps]

Since I was knocking around Burslem I thought I'd pay a visit to a shrine of one of Burslem's famous sons.

There's a bit of street which has adopted his moniker.

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And a shop bearing his full name and moniker.

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And the bronze.

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(Saw him twice on stage - mid-teens and much later in life).

 

[Only RF]

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[MrSparks999]

Great shot

 

[VanDyck]

Not to be outdone/defeated

What ever it takes... the effort is worth it!

Looking forward to seeing more bottle kilns. For whatever reason, I'm fascinated by the shape.

 

[Grumps]

What ever it takes... the effort is worth it!

Looking forward to seeing more bottle kilns. For whatever reason, I'm fascinated by the shape.

Building the suspense...

The next series includes a visit to the inside of a bottle oven.

 

[Shotbycurtin]

Bailed out of renovation work yesterday and headed to Floors Castle again. Bumped into Voodoo Ray..

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[Grumps]

The next series includes a visit to the inside of a bottle oven.

A bit of fairly modern industrial heritage.

The Dudson Centre, Dudson's being one of the producers of pottery/ceramics. No entry charge.

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The inner courtyard. The surrounding buildings have been converted to hireable conference/training rooms. In the centre of the coutyard is a bottle oven.

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That bottle oven is cleaned up inside and has been converted to a museum. Remember that these ovens were fired with coal, about fourteen tons per firing.

Part of the displays have information boards. Note the historic use of children as labour.

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One of the display cabinets. (I got stars!)

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And on the upper level (via a spiral staircase) one can gaze up the opening of the chimney.

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[SwampGrizz]

Grumps,
Well done! I particularly like the shot looking up the chimney.
To my knowledge, I’m not sure we have anything similar in the States. Somebody correct me if I’m wrong. Not only do we get superb photos, but a history lesson as a bonus. Thanks for posting.

 

[JackC]

A bit of fairly modern industrial heritage.

The Dudson Centre, Dudson's being one of the producers of pottery/ceramics. No entry charge.

View attachment 48770

The inner courtyard. The surrounding buildings have been converted to hireable conference/training rooms. In the centre of the coutyard is a bottle oven.

View attachment 48763

That bottle oven is cleaned up inside and has been converted to a museum. Remember that these ovens were fired with coal, about fourteen tons per firing.

Part of the displays have information boards. Note the historic use of children as labour.

View attachment 48768

One of the display cabinets. (I got stars!)

View attachment 48766

And on the upper level (via a spiral staircase) one can gaze up the opening of the chimney.

View attachment 48767

Great photos and a fascinating lesson to go with them. Well Done.

 

[VanDyck]

A bit of fairly modern industrial heritage.

What an eye-opening peak into the past: the sobering history lesson and photos of the interior. The photo looking up into the chimney is the winner! Great stuff!

 

[AOC]

Kyle Kirkwood, part of the NASCAR Andretti Racing Team won the
freedom 250 Grand Prix on the 1.7 Mile Course in Washington DC on 9.23.26

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[AOC]

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[AOC]

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[Grumps]

The photo looking up into the chimney is the winner! Great stuff!

Save the best 'til last

I could have included more history (some of which is USA linked) but I was just trying to set the context as briefly as possible.

Dudson still produce tableware/hotelware. Turn your plates over when dining out (when they are empty!). You may see a Dudson or Churchill logo (same company).

The original towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent (Burslem, Tunstall, Longport, Hanley, Fenton and Stoke) lay claim to the first English potter west of the USA's Appalachion Mountains and possibly the first English potter to emigrate to the USA. Jabez Vodrey. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabez_Vodrey

I'm hunting down the remaining bottle ovens. Apparently there was once more than 2000 of them. Now they number at a very precise (and prime) 47. All of which are now Grade 2 listed buildings. Some were used for a process called calcining. Creating powder from flint and/or bone (well, there is bone china).

(One of my children has a BA in ceramics and design. I once had an electric 'test' kiln in a garage. When I say "test" I'm not talking about the piddly little ones that are available for purchase by people dabbling in ceramics. The kiln and its stand took four (strong) men to move - with the assistance of trolleys. It was OK until the electronics governing temperature and timing released their magic smoke. The next electricity bill was 'interesting'.)

 

[Wings and Things]

Bottle kilns are certainly impressive structures. Not yet visited Stoke but my wife and I did visit the Coalport Museum in Shropshire a couple of years ago. She also has one of those "piddly little ones" in her studio as a ceramicist.