Aynsley's Portland Works in Sutherland Road, Longton. Photograph taken by Mr.Elliott, February 1975.

By 1800 the pottery industry was well established and expanding, with over 300 potworks in north Staffordshire. The majority were in the town centres but more were being built alongside the area’s roads and canals. The transport system was further improved by tramways linking collieries, canals and roads. This, in turn, offered greater flexibility for the location of potworks.
With the expansion of the industry greater consideration was given to the design  and construction of the pottery factories. Fire-proofing became an issue and more potworks were built with tiled roofing replacing the original thatching method. Buildings constructed of brick and tiles  were typical of this period.
Potworks generally consisted of warehouses, workshops, a dipping house, saggar house, plate house, a packing house and kilns.
A typical potworks of this period is John Aynsley’s Portland Works on Sutherland Road which was built in 1861.