Falcon Works Pottery, England

The Falcon Works Pottery is a derelict pottery factory in central England. The Grade-II listed building has been derelict for nearly two decades. Firstly, I visited this site in 2016 where it was easily accessible. Sadly this was only a fleeting visit and regrettable I didn’t take many photographs. A revisit had been attempted several times over the years, but sadly I was not lucky enough to find an accessible entrance. In the autumn of 2020, I finally got my revisit. I was in the area investigating another location and decided to try my luck again at Falcon Works Pottery. This time, I was indeed fortunate and ventured inside once again.

History of Falcon Works Pottery

The Falcon Works Pottery was built in the 1890s. This site represented the new premises for a family-run business, which had established only one year earlier. By the early 1900s, they had built the first kiln and were producing pottery. The three-storey building in brick-built, with plain tiled roof. The workshops enclose a sizeable internal courtyard.

Inside this courtyard, several of the huge kiln ovens and chimneys were housed. There were five kilns in total. Three of which were subsequently relocated to the south area, during an expansion phase in the early 1900s. Only one of the original kilns remain; the other four were replaced and modernised in the middle 20th Century.

Initially, the Falcon Works Pottery produced earthenware. As the company became more successful, they set their sights on more prestigious fare. Eventually, fine porcelain pottery was created here. In more recent years, more diverse products such as hotel wares and even collectables were added to the shelves. At the peak of the companies success, 200 people worked here.

Closure and decline of the factory

Growth was hindered after the 1970s as new planning laws came into effect. By 2000 the Falcon Works Pottery employed only 10 people before it finally closed. In the years since the closure, the site has been the victim of several arson attacks. In recent years planning permission was granted to convert the site to apartments. The site has been up for sale for a quarter of a million pounds, but it is unclear what will happen to the site.