Spode pottery set for return to Stoke-on-Trent factory museum

The Spode factory stopped trading in 2008

Thousands of Spode pottery items are to be moved to a museum, with some going on display for the first time in years.

The Spode Museum Collection has been "locked away in storage" since the factory went into administration in 2008, said Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Next year, more than 20,000 pieces will be moved to the site of the former Inset nightclub on Eleanora Street.

Its transformation into a museum storage space is expected to be completed by February.

There, the collection will be catalogued, with some items later going on display.

Councillor Daniel Jellyman said the project marked "a monumental occasion for our city's heritage".

The site began making pottery in the 18th Century

The cabinet member for infrastructure, regeneration and heritage said moving the collection items "to their rightful home" would also encourage "residents and visitors to see some of the wonderful heritage sites in Stoke".

Spode, founded by Josiah Spode in the 18th Century, is renowned for its innovation, and played a big role in Stoke-on-Trent pottery becoming some of the most sought after around the world.

Spode Museum, which has already opened on the site, will gain a meeting room, display spaces and windows so passers by can "see more of the wonderful treasures", said the council, which funded the work with Historic England.

A small collection of Spode pottery at the museum had become an established attraction in the Potteries, the council added.