Gladstone is a complete preserved Victorian pottery factory in Longton — the only one left intact in the country. Four bottle-shaped kilns dominate the cobbled yard, and you can walk into the cool brick-lined interior of one to get a sense of what firing day was like. The factory ran until 1960, after which it was rescued by enthusiasts and turned into a museum.
The galleries are arranged as a working pottery: clay preparation, throwing, casting, decorating, packing. Demonstrators show flower making, painting, and throwing on the wheel, and you can try it yourself in the workshop. The museum has built up a brilliant collection of bone china, sanitary ware, and the rather unsettling history of lead poisoning among potters. Allow at least two hours.