Who Are Burgess And Leigh Burleigh Ware Pottery?

I love Burleigh ware! It is a pottery whose ware has stood the test of time. Their products are just as practical and beautiful now as they were when the pottery was first founded.

Burgess and Leigh were established in 1851 in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, originally as Hulme and Booth. William Leigh and Frederick Rathbone Burgess took over the pottery in 1862, trading as Burgess & Leigh. The trademark “Burleigh” was used from the 1930s and is a combination of the two names.

They are particularly well known today for their blue and white / pink and white chintz patterns.  

This is a 1930s Water Pitcher in the 'Willow' pattern.

 

But they also produced beautiful art deco novelty vases in the shapes of animals, people and characters from literature including this colourful 'Blue Tit' Art Deco vase.

 

Geometric designs were also manufactured in the 1940s, including this lovely pastel yellow vase.

And don't forget their striking looking dinnerware. This is a plate in a pattern called 'Dawn' made in the 1930s.

Their iconic beehive back mark dates back to 1867 when Burleigh moved to Hill pottery, former home of Alcock, and acquired the beehive back stamp which then became incorporated into future Burleigh Ware.

They moved to the modernised Middleport factory in 1889, which was renovated in 2011-2014 by The United Kingdom Historic Building Preservation Trust (UKHBPT)- now Re-Form Heritage and, to my delight, they still produce Burleigh Ware in some of the original patterns. The UKHBT was one of The Prince’s Trust Charities with the then HRH The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, as its Patron.

It takes 25 pairs of hands to create a single piece of Burleigh ware. Dedication indeed!