New Hope for Rare Victorian Pottery Showroom After Decades of Decline
Historic England funding brings new hope for one of South Derbyshire's most important historic buildings
Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust has secured almost £1 million from Historic England to help rescue the Grade II listed Bretby Art Pottery Showroom in Woodville.
The last surviving building of the celebrated Bretby Art Pottery Works has stood empty for almost 30 years and is now in urgent need of conservation.
The project will support essential repairs, safeguard a nationally significant historic building and help prepare it for a sustainable future.
Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust (DHBT) is celebrating a major breakthrough in its efforts to save the historic Bretby Art Pottery Showroom following the award of a grant of just under £1 million from Historic England's Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.
Built as part of the celebrated Bretby Art Pottery Works, established by Henry Tooth and William Ault in 1883, the Showroom is a remarkable survivor of South Derbyshire's internationally significant ceramics industry. The pottery was renowned for its innovative designs and decorative techniques, with connections to the influential designer Dr Christopher Dresser. Today, the Grade II listed Showroom is the only surviving building from the former works and is of considerable architectural and historic importance.
The building has stood vacant for almost three decades and its condition has deteriorated significantly. The Historic England grant will enable DHBT to undertake the specialist investigations and substantial conservation works needed to safeguard the building, address its urgent repair needs and prepare it for a sustainable future.
Beyond the physical restoration, the Trust intends to create opportunities for local people to reconnect with this important part of their industrial heritage. Working with education and community partners, DHBT plans to develop activities involving traditional building skills, volunteering, research and heritage interpretation. The ambition is to return the Showroom to active use, contributing to local pride and providing a lasting legacy for the community.
Richard Wood, Chair of Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust, said:
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to save a building that has been at serious risk for many years. Bretby Art Pottery was once at the forefront of British ceramic design, and its surviving Showroom contains decorative design of remarkable historic and artistic significance and is an important part of Woodville and Swadlincote. It stands as a lasting tribute to Henry Tooth, whose talent and vision as a designer made the name Bretby known well beyond Derbyshire.
We are enormously grateful to Historic England for recognising the significance of this building and supporting our efforts to save it. This funding represents a major step towards securing its future, but there is still much work to do. We look forward to working with the local community, partners and supporters to bring this remarkable piece of South Derbyshire’s heritage back to life.
The Trustees, supporters and volunteers of Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust deserve enormous thanks for the hard work and research they have contributed to reaching this point.
On behalf of the Trust, I would like to thank Samantha Niblett, Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire, and her office for their support, as well as South Derbyshire District Council and Woodville Parish Council for their encouragement and assistance.”
Louise Brennan, Director of Regions, Historic England, said:
“Historic buildings are an important part of what gives places across England their character and identity, and they can be powerful assets for the communities around them. By investing in buildings at risk, we have an opportunity not only to protect important heritage, but to unlock their potential, breathe new life into historic places and showcase what makes communities distinctive.
This funding will support urgent conservation needs while helping projects move towards sustainable futures, whether through continued use, new uses or bringing valued buildings back into active use. We are pleased to support projects across England that demonstrate how investment in heritage can help create stronger, more distinctive and more vibrant places for the future.”
‘Bretby Art Pottery Showroom - Saved for the Future’ is being funded by Historic England’s Heritage At Risk Capital Fund grant programme. This new grant programme has been launched to support urgent repairs and regeneration of historic buildings at risk, particularly in deprived areas, aligning with government priorities on community wellbeing, economic growth, and levelling up.
This funding marks an important new chapter, but there is still much work ahead. We'll be sharing updates as the conservation project progresses, together with opportunities to learn more about the building and get involved.
Follow DHBT's news and social media channels for further updates.
