F. Winkle & Co

Were earthenware manufacturers based in Hanley, part of the famous ‘Potteries’ region of Staffordshire in England.

They started out as Winkle and Wood in 1885 when the two partners created their own purpose built ‘Colonial Pottery Works on the border of Stoke and Fenton alongside the Trent and Mersey canal on Whieldon Road. Winkle used the trade name ‘Whieldon Ware’ named after the famous 18th century potter, Thomas Whieldon who lived and worked in the area.

In 1890 they parted company and F. Winkle continued on his own at the Colonial Pottery Works. In the early 1900’s the works were taken over by the Hewitt brothers who continued to operate it under the name of F Winkle & Co Ltd.

The business was again taken over by Ridgways (Bedford Works) Ltd who took the manufacture of the earthenware in-house,and the Colonial Pottery Works were taken over by a new company – Whieldon Sanitary Potteries, who later became a subsidiary of Doulton & Co in 1949.

The pottery works were demolished in 2000.