Burton in Lonsdale Pottery

The Museum of North Craven Life holds one of the finest collections of Burton in Lonsdale Pottery anywhere in the world. There was a pottery industry in Burton, supplying pots and vessels for domestic and trade use, from the 1830s until 1946. Burton had plentiful supplies of clay and coal, and up to 15 kilns were in operation at the industry’s peak.

Most of our pots were collected by Rose Pierce, who lived in Burton for almost 40 years. Rose arrived in the village as a district nurse in 1959 and took an immediate interest in the legacy of the potteries. At that time, there were still people in Burton who had been personally involved in the work. Rose
listened attentively to their stories and became fascinated with the raw materials, the potting process, and the pots themselves.

Rose began to collect pots and made it a rule that she would only acquire items from within a 3-mile radius of Burton. She wanted to share her collection with other people so she held a number of exhibitions in the barn adjacent to her house.

Rose wanted to ensure a permanent home for the pots and for the related photographs and documents that she had also collected. She generously donated everything to the Museum of North Craven Life.

Rose Pierce was a founding member of the museum in 1977 and her pots are now one of our most highly-prized collections.