> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theredhairedstokie.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Bottle Kiln That Became a House: Tunstall’s Lost Swan Pottery and Its Clarice Cliff Connection - URL: https://www.theredhairedstokie.co.uk/the-bottle-kiln-that-became-a-house-tunstalls-lost-swan-pottery-and-its-clarice-cliff-connection/ - Published: 2026-08-29T16:54:41.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-29T16:54:41.000Z - Description: A rare photograph reveals a Tunstall bottle kiln converted into a house, uncovering the lost Swan Pottery and Clarice Cliff’s early career. - Author: Jenna Goodwin I recently came across this photograph of an old bottle oven that had been turned into a house! Taken in Tunstall sometime between 1965 and 1968, it shows the base of an old bottle kiln that had been converted into a home. It had not been preserved as a monument or swept away during redevelopment. I have never seen anything quite like it. The photograph was taken by Eileen Deste, who spent years touring the Potteries and documenting parts of its industrial landscape that she could see were disappearing. She worked from a Land Rover that also served as her mobile darkroom. In the background of the photograph, the gable end of 187 High Street can just be seen. Faded letters reading “S W”, together with an arrow, are painted onto the brickwork, presumably once directing customers towards the pottery works next door. ![The bottle oven that became a house in the 1920s from above, Swan Works, Tunstall](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/ed/55edfeb9-3891-44ac-87d8-42a494829392/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-29-160736-1.png) The bottle oven that became a house in the 1920s from above, Swan Works, Tunstall ## The Swan Pottery in Tunstall The kiln stood at what had once been the Swan Pottery on High Street in Tunstall. Like many pottery businesses across the area, the company went through several names during its history. It was established under James Colclough in 1867 and later traded as Colclough and Lingard. By around 1900, the business had become Lingard, Webster and Co, which gave the works its Swan Pottery name. Lingard, Webster were teapot manufacturers known for producing an Imari style pattern nicknamed “poor man’s Crown Derby”. The design sold well both in Britain and abroad. The company also produced a range of novelty teapots during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Production was consolidated with other potteries under wartime restrictions in 1941, although the firm continued trading under its own name from the Swan Pottery until the early 1970s. The site was eventually cleared to make way for a new roundabout. ![The bottle oven that became a house with Tunstall Electricity, by Swan Works, Tunstall](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/ed/55edfeb9-3891-44ac-87d8-42a494829392/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-29-160234-1.png) The bottle oven that became a house with Tunstall Electricity, by Swan Works, Tunstall ## The disappearance of Tunstall’s bottle ovens By the time Eileen Deste photographed the site, the kiln was already out of use. Bottle ovens across the Potteries had been falling out of service since the Clean Air Act of 1956, which gave manufacturers seven years to stop firing them with coal. At their peak during the 1930s, there were more than 2,100 bottle ovens across the six towns. By 1960, that number had fallen to around 157. Today, fewer than 50 survive anywhere in Stoke on Trent. None remain standing in Tunstall. ![OS map showing the bottle oven that became a house, Swan Works, Tunstall](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/ed/55edfeb9-3891-44ac-87d8-42a494829392/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-29-164533-1.png) OS map showing the bottle oven that became a house, Swan Works, Tunstall ## Clarice Cliff’s connection to the Swan Pottery One part of the Swan Pottery’s history is particularly significant. Around 1912, a thirteen year old girl from Tunstall began an apprenticeship at the pottery as an enameller. Her wage was one shilling a week. That young apprentice was Clarice Cliff. She remained at the Swan Pottery for only a few years before moving to Hollinshead and Kirkham, where she trained as a lithographer. It was there, and during the years that followed, that she developed the bold and colourful style that would make her name. She became particularly celebrated for the Bizarre and Fantasque ranges, which remain closely associated with her work today. However, Clarice Cliff’s first steps in the pottery industry were taken at the Swan Pottery, the same factory on Tunstall High Street where the converted kiln house would later be photographed by Eileen Deste. ![Swan Works, Tunstall](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/ed/55edfeb9-3891-44ac-87d8-42a494829392/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-29-155111-1.png) Swan Works, Tunstall ## Do you remember the Swan Pottery? The Swan Pottery has long since disappeared. As far as I can find, neither the works nor the kiln house was ever listed, leaving very little official record beyond surviving photographs such as this one. If you know more about the site, I would love to hear from you. Did you or members of your family live along this stretch of High Street? Do you remember the kiln house or know who lived there? Perhaps you have photographs, memories or family stories connected to the Swan Pottery. Any information that could help tell more of this forgotten piece of Tunstall’s history would be very welcome.