Monument record MDR10610 - Barker Pottery (site of), Barker Lane, Brampton

Barker Pottery was started in around 1800 on what is now Barker Lane by Samuel and Henry Briddon. Samuel Briddon died intestate in 1860 and the valuation of his works gives a fascinating picture of a brown and stoneware pottery of the period: "Barker Pottery. Brampton, Stonedge, Lydd and Bar Clays, both prepared and not prepared, fine white clay, also ware made but not burnt, together with boards, shords, rails, wheels, screw boxes, cockles, ribs, dods, benches, stools, sieves, tun dishes. Five kilns with all utensils connected with same, coals and slack in yard, bar moulds, brick moulds, arch moulds, boiler, sun kilns, blunge hole, and tools connected with same. An account of all the moulds and blocks for moulding ware, flint, cornwall stone, whiting, barytes, lead, manganese, salt, casks, slip benches, crane truck, barrows, baskets, rakes, forks, riddles, paddles, gas and water fittings, willows both hosier [sic] and cane, metal feet for hampered bottles, trough, timbers, desk, type cupboards, wire lawn for sieves, cornchest, stationery, stock of best, seconds, and thirds brownware, stoneware, and fineware, with pancheon ware, pop, porter and ink bottles, together with all shelves, and pens, horses, harness, carts, wagons, drug covers, chains, ropes, crate cording, sundries in stables, chopper sacks, hay in stables, chamber, and in stock yard hay, straw, thatch, all manures, fleaks, branding boards, lot of wood, half of crate wood etc." By 1914 the Barker Pottery had taken over the neighbouring Welshpool & Payne Pottery. In 1920 they claimed to be the most up-to-date pottery in Derbyshire, with 60 workers, increasing to 120 by 1938. The firm continued making the usual wares for home and export, and survived the 1939-45 war, but competition from metal, glass and plastic kitchen wares forces closure in 1957. The site has since been redeveloped. They had an enormous output of wares, with some of the most interesting and collectable pieces coming from the 1830s to the 1860s. Briddon pieces are both in museums and in private collections. (1)