Operating out of the original brick factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England, complete with its own Grade II listed bottle oven, Museum and Heritage Visitor Centre, Moorcroft uses the proprietary glazes and distinctive slip-trailing methods pioneered by William Moorcroft at the end of the 19th century. This incredibly labour-intensive process produces colourful designs of intricacy, brilliance, and clarity in the Arts and Crafts tradition. Moorcroft was originally founded as a studio in 1897, within the James Macintyre & Co. ceramic company. Following investment by Liberty of London, William set up a company under his own name, which still thrives today, with each piece of art still entirely handmade, just as it has always been.
After over a century of ceramic alchemy, the colour spectrum has expanded, with heritage skills of Moorcroft’s artists and tubeliners second to none. In truth, Moorcroft’s ceramic designs push the ceramic boundaries of shape, colour and surface design with the considerable creative skills of the Moorcroft’s Design Studio – Senior designer, Rachel Bishop, Emma Bossons FRSA, Nicola Slaney, Kerry Goodwin and Vicky Lovatt. Supporting the Moorcroft designers are a multitude of skilled artisans, each bringing their own unique heritage skill to a new generation of enthusiasts. Moorcroft’s Heritage Visitor Centre opening hours are 10.30am–4.30pm Wednesday–Saturday and factory tours can be booked on their website. The Moorcroft Museum is free to enter.