King Charles wins praise for Stoke-on-Trent pottery-saving efforts
- Published
The then Prince of Wales visited Middleport Pottery in 2011 after his charity stepped in to help save it
King Charles III has won praise from staff at a Victorian pottery factory for saving it from closure.
When he was Prince of Wales, his charity The Prince's Regeneration Trust secured the future of Middleport Pottery, in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
They spearheaded a £9m regeneration and potters at the site said, without the King, their jobs would have gone.
"If it wasn't for the King the factory would have closed down and we would be all out of a job," Denis Robinson said.
Fellow potter Jackie Heames added: "He's preserved Burleigh for the future because a lot of the potteries have closed down now and he's saved it."
Potter Jackie Heames said the King's help had been vital in saving the pottery
Distinctive Burleigh blue and white floral china has been made at Middleport Pottery since 1888 and, until 2007, the chinaware was made using steam-powered machinery.
But by 2010, the buildings had decayed to the point where the then owners said it was at risk of closure due to the high cost of renovations.
The Prince's Regeneration Trust said in 2011 it wanted to preserve the building and it was bought on their behalf by the United Kingdom Historic Building Preservation Trust.
Burleigh blue and white floral china has been made at Middleport Pottery since 1888
Over three years, £9m was spent, including grants from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the restored pottery reopened to the public in 2014.
Ceramics firm Burgess & Leigh still operates from the site and managing director Jim Norman said the King's intervention had been "hugely valuable".
"The reality that we see is a Prince of Wales coming into a deprived area where there has been a lot of industrial decay and spending time and genuine efforts in this community," he said.
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