Wedgwood measured what nobody could measure
- The pyrometer
- Fellow of the Royal Society
- Making the same thing twice
- The Potteries
How Stoke-on-Trent grew
The short version, in order. Pick a year.
The pyrometer
Josiah Wedgwood’s obsession was consistency — making the same thing twice. The obstacle was the kiln, because nobody could measure how hot it was, so he invented an instrument to do it and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for it.
Wedgwood, and the instrument that made firing repeatable
Josiah Wedgwood’s reputation is for pottery, but his real obsession was consistency: making the same thing twice. The obstacle was the kiln, because nobody could measure how hot it was. So he invented a pyrometer to do it, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1783 largely on the strength of it.
That is a more modern idea than it sounds. Wedgwood ran experiments, recorded results, standardised his process and measured the variable that mattered, in an industry that had run on craft judgement for centuries.
The Potteries built themselves on that principle, and it is the same principle behind every dashboard and every A/B test since.
What that means if you trade in Stoke
Stoke is six towns that were federated into one city and have never entirely agreed about it, which makes local identity unusually strong and unusually specific.
Businesses that write as though Stoke is a single place tend to be read as outsiders. Naming the town is worth more than naming the city.
What Stoke-on-Trent businesses ask us for
Name the town
Hanley, Burslem, Longton, Tunstall, Fenton, Stoke. People locate themselves by town, not city.
Value matters
This is a price-conscious market. Publishing yours filters in the right enquiries.
Show the finished job
A city built on craft judges by the result. Photographs, not promises.
How well do you know Stoke-on-Trent?
Five quick questions. Get all five right and you win a 10% off discount code for your website. Every answer is somewhere on this page, so have a read if you get stuck.
Stoke-on-Trent quiz · 1 of 5
What was Josiah Wedgwood’s real obsession?
Common questions
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