Britain’s Prince Charles is visiting Middleport Pottery factory today (24.06.14).
The heir to the throne has arrived in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England, to take a tour of newly-renovated facilities, which the Prince’s Regeneration Trust (PRT) saved from closure in 2011.
As president of the PRT, Charles forked out £9 million to prevent the UK’s last-remaining working Victorian ceramic factory from shutting down and workers losing their jobs.
Now the three-year renovation has been completed, over 30,000 people-a-year are expected to flock to the factory’s new visitors’ centre and café.
The historic site, which produces the world-famous Burleigh Pottery ware, has also doubled its workforce and taken on new buildings.
Ros Kerslake, PRT’s chief executive, told The Sentinel newspaper: "The Prince’s Regeneration Trust was desperate to save the building and the skills and the archive. We made Prince Charles aware of the project and he was immediately taken with the importance of what we had been asked to do.
"This will be his third visit. He loves it, he loves the site. He considers it very important, that it’s the only place we have still got where pottery has been made for 125 years. He also owns some Burleigh ware."
Prince Charles to visit Middleport Pottery factory
