STUDENT INFORMATION

Campus And Facilities

Clay College Stoke is situated in one of the buildings within the historic Middleport Pottery.

Nestled in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent, the world-renowned centre of ceramics, Middleport Pottery’s historic site was built in 1888 for well-known local ceramics company, Burgess & Leigh Limited. The Grade II* listed site is a red-brick maze, containing historic machinery, archives and collections in every corner.

In June 2011 The Prince’s Regeneration Trust (PRT) stepped in to save Middleport Pottery from closure and to ensure that Burleigh stayed in Burslem. After buying the Pottery, PRT embarked on a £9 million, three-year project to regenerate and revitalise the site. The Pottery is now a major visitor destination and has won eight awards, including a RIBA National Award and a Europa Nostra Award, since it opened.

The restoration has meant that Burleigh has remained on-site, saving local jobs and craftsmanship. The unused buildings have been developed to provide attractive accommodation for workshops, enterprise space, craft and community areas, a cafe, a gallery and a heritage visitor centre. The new visitor experience at Middleport Pottery includes tours of the Burleigh factory, where visitors can see the handcraft techniques that have been used there since the 1800s. Visitors can also step inside the industrial bottle kiln, which has sights and sounds from the Pottery’s past, and can see the mould collection, which is the largest in Europe. The restored Victorian offices also display a collection of Burleigh ceramics from across the years.

Food and Drink

Students are welcome to use the café on the Middleport Pottery site, which is part of the visitors’ centre, and is therefore open to members of the public. In addition, a small kitchen area will be provided exclusively for the use of The Clay College, for the preparation of hot and cold drinks and light snacks. A fridge, kettle, microwave and cutlery will be provided: please bring your own mugs, etc, if you wish to use it. There are several small general food stores in Burslem, as well as some takeaway food businesses.

There is disabled access and toilets for the sole use of The Clay College. There are no separate changing rooms or secure storage spaces (eg. lockers) for personal items or valuables. Students remain responsible for their personal property at all times.

Location/Directions

Clay College Stoke is located at Middleport Pottery in Stoke on Trent, Port Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 3PE.

Middleport is 13 minutes’ walk or a 4 minute cycle ride from the centre of Burslem. It can be accessed from the Port Street side, or from the tow path (which is open to cyclists) opposite Middleport on the other side of the river. The river can be crossed less than a minute’s walk south at Pidduck Street.

Stoke-on-Trent is unique in many ways. One example in particular which first time visitors to the area may not be aware of, is that the city is not a city in the traditional way, with just one centre. It has six towns, and six centres, which came together as a county borough in 1910 and later as a city in 1925. Stoke-on-Trent is the home of pottery in the United Kingdom and so is commonly known as ‘The Potteries’.

Stoke-on-Trent is centrally placed in the heart of England, between Manchester and Birmingham. Whether it’s by road, rail, water or air, The Potteries is within easy reach and we have a great network of public transport to help you get around once you arrive.

BY CAR

You can reach Middleport Pottery just off the A500. Middleport Pottery has a car park and there is street parking on both sides of Port Street.

Stoke-on-Trent is conveniently located just off junctions 15 and 16 of the M6 and is linked by the A500 (known locally as ‘the D road’). The A50 also cuts through the city, providing an east-west link to the M1. Make sure to check your route before setting off – The AA’s Route Planner can help.

BY COACH

National Express connects Stoke-on-Trent with hundreds of UK towns and cities Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Bus Station provides state-of-the-art passenger facilities, including an information office, interactive touch-screen bus journey planners, a convenience store and toilets and is staffed from 5am until midnight.

BY TRAIN

The College is 12 minutes’ walk from Longport Station which has direct trains to Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station is on the West Coast Mainline and operated by href=”http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/stations-destinations/regions/west-midlands/stoke-on-trent”>Virgin Trains. Stoke-on-Trent is less than 90 minutes on the half-hourly train service from London and there’s regular high speed trains direct from London Euston, Birmingham and Manchester. It also provides an interchange on the Crewe to Derby line for various local services running through Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The National Rail Enquiries website provides all timetable and ticket information.

The station is just two miles from the city centre and has good bus connections for attractions in the city. A busy taxi rank is located outside the station and there is also a Brompton Dock Cycle hub, where you can hire and park your bicycle.

Student Accommodation Information

Students who live outside of a reasonable commute to the College, will need to arrange accommodation in the local area. The College is unable to provide accommodation, but will help provide options for accommodation. Students will be responsible for organising their own accommodation.

Details of estate agents, private landlords, hotels and B and Bs can be found on-line. The regional print paper for the Stoke-on-Trent area is ‘The Sentinel’ (www.stokesentinel.co.uk) and the telephone number for the local Tourist Information Office is 01782 236000 (www.visitstoke.co.uk). Be aware that there is heavy traffic across the city around the beginning and end of the school/ office hours working day, and Friday evenings).

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