The Big House in Burslem, built for John and Thomas Wedgwood in 1751.

During the early 18th century the north Staffordshire pottery industry increased considerably. Potworks were still small in scale, employing few workers, and it was not unusual for houses to be converted into workshops. From the 1720s potworks typically had two or more ovens with thatched sheds serving as throwing, turning, pressing, packing and other workshops.. During the early 1700s many people abandoned farming to specialise in pottery manufacture.
Demand for fine tableware increased and potters began to imitate the eastern patterns of imported ware from China. However, lacking the white firing clays required to make fine white wares, local manufacturers were forced to import suitable clay from Devon and Dorset.
New wares required new and more sophisticated production methods and factories developed to accomodate these. More workers, each with specialised roles, needed more workshops in which to carry out their duties. The introduction of plaster of Paris in the 1740s increased the production of standardised shapes and necessitated new trades - mould maker, presser etc - and new workshops within the factory.