Etruria Museum celebrates Heritage Open Days with public events
A series of guided tours and activities will be taking place at Etruria Industrial Museum this September to celebrate Heritage Open Days.
On Saturday 9 September a Vintage Stationary Engine Rally displaying small steam, petrol and diesel engines will be out on the field. The site, museum and tearoom will also be open from 11am to 4pm.
Shirley’s 1857 Potters’ Mill ‘in Steam’ operating as in the Victorian days will take place from 12.30pm, on Sunday 10 September – with the site, museum and tearoom open 11am to 4.30pm.
Plus a Classic Vehicle Rally with classic and interesting cars and commercials on the field.
Entrance to the site, museum and mill free in support of Heritage Open Days.
Guided tours of the mill are also available priced at £5 per adult, under 16s free subject to availability.
For information about more Heritage Open Days events taking place thorughout Stoke-on-Trent visit www.potteries.org.uk/heritageopendays
Various talks will be taking place by Bernard Lovatt which include:
Wednesday 13 September 7pm to 9pm. Talk and Tour of the Mill – The History of Grinding
Thursday 15 September 2.30pm to 4.30pm – Talk and Tour of the Mill – The History of Grinding
The talks are free with light refreshments provided in support of Heritage Open Days. Booking is required as numbers are limited to 25.
Please book here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/397788755877
Precis of ‘The History of Grinding’ Talks – Humans have been grinding materials to reduce the particle size for hundreds of thousands of years. It has been said that grinding mills are the oldest machines. For the last few thousand years methods have been evolving and with the industrialisation of the last few hundred years methods have rapidly changed and the science developed – Bernard Lovatt will review these methods and the science behind them with special reference to the developments of the last three centuries associated with the pottery industry. The talk will be followed by a tour Shirley’s 1857 Bone and Flint Mill (not in steam) which uses the pan grinding method developed in the 1730s and used into the 1970s.
