A Founding Father of English Ceramics
In 1672, a Gloucestershire-born Oxford scholar named John Dwight established a pottery at the junction of what is now New King's Road and Burlington Road in Fulham. The site, near Putney Bridge, would become one of the longest-running industrial enterprises in London's history, operating continuously for 284 years until 1956.
Dwight had been granted a patent in 1671 for "the mistery of transparent earthenware, commonly known by the names of porcelain or china, and of stoneware, vulgarly called Cologne ware." Born around 1633 to 1636 in Todenham, Gloucestershire, he had studied at Oxford University, served as assistant to the scientist Robert Boyle, and worked as registrar to the Diocese of Chester before turning his attention to ceramics. His Fulham operation made him the earliest clearly documented maker of stoneware in England.
The Salt-Glaze Tradition
Fulham Pottery specialised in salt-glazed stoneware, initially producing brown wares and later developing white varieties. The output included tavernware: bottles, jugs, and mugs, often decorated with hunting scenes and inscribed for innkeepers. The pottery also produced small sculptural figures from its earliest years, including classical gods, busts of royalty, and notably, memorial sculptures for Dwight's own daughter Lydia, who died in 1674 aged six. These Lydia Dwight memorial pieces are now recognised as among the oldest ceramic sculptures of their type in Europe.
Scientifically minded, Dwight experimented with porcelain from 1673 to 1674. Excavations in the 1970s uncovered test pieces now held by the Museum of London, though porcelain never reached commercial production at Fulham. His 1672 patent had claimed discovery of both "porcelain or china and Persian ware," positioning him as a pioneer of English ceramic experimentation decades before commercial porcelain manufacture became established.
Rivalry and the Spread of Technique
By 1690, competition had arrived in Fulham. The Dutch Elers brothers, John Philip and David, established a rival stoneware operation nearby. They developed distinctive red stoneware and later relocated to Staffordshire, where their techniques influenced the emerging Potteries industry. Dwight engaged in litigation against the Elers brothers to protect his patents, establishing an early pattern of legal protection of ceramic innovation.
Dwight died in 1703, but the pottery continued. It nearly fell into ruin by 1864, when C.J.C. Bailey purchased and revived the operation. Under Bailey's ownership, the pottery diversified into architectural ceramics and art pottery. In 1888, new owners shifted focus back to salt-glazed stoneware, which remained the primary output until closure.
The Royal Doulton Connection
Fulham Pottery's most significant legacy may lie in its role as a training ground. In 1815, a young potter named John Doulton completed his apprenticeship at Fulham Pottery. Described as "a noted big ware thrower," Doulton invested his life savings of £100 that same year into a partnership at Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, with Martha Jones and foreman John Watts. The firm, initially named Jones, Watts & Doulton, specialised in salt-glazed stoneware: bottles, jugs, jars, and drain pipes.
Martha Jones departed in 1820, and the business became Doulton & Watts. A move to Lambeth High Street followed in 1826. John Doulton's son, Henry, born in 1820, joined as an apprentice in 1835 and later established his own Lambeth Pottery in 1846, focusing on sanitation pipes. After John Watts retired in 1853, the merged operation became Doulton & Company in 1854.
A Royal Warrant from King Edward VII in 1901 elevated the firm to Royal Doulton, transforming the small Lambeth enterprise into a globally recognised ceramics brand. The salt-glaze expertise John Doulton acquired at Fulham Pottery in 1815 had launched an empire.
Closure and Remnants
Fulham Pottery ceased operations on its original site in 1956, ending 284 years of continuous production. The closure coincided with that of Doulton's Lambeth factory in the same year, both victims of the Clean Air Act 1956, which prohibited urban salt-glaze production due to emissions. Doulton transferred production to Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, while Fulham Pottery's studio pottery firing continued into the 1980s, including collaborations with artists Quentin Bell and Philip Sutton. The Fulham Pottery Ltd. was formally dissolved in 1996.
Today, one physical trace remains: a Grade II listed bottle kiln, probably dating from the 19th century, stands at the original site coordinates of 51°28′11.35″N 0°12′31.81″W. Listed on Historic England's National Heritage List for England, it serves as a rare reminder of Fulham's industrial ceramic heritage and the unassuming West London pottery that helped launch one of Britain's most famous ceramic houses.