Red House Cone
 Red House Cone | |
 | |
| Location | Wordsley, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England |
|---|---|
| Designer | Richard Bradley and George Ensell |
| Height | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Completion date | 1794 |
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The Red House Cone is a glass cone located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a 90-foot (27 m) high conical brick structure with a diameter of 60 feet (18 m), used for the production of glass.[1] It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936,[2] when the company moved to a new facility at Vine Street.[3] It is one of only four complete cones remaining in the United Kingdom.[4]
It is one of four such structures in the UK and is currently maintained as a museum by Dudley Council. (The other three cones are at Lemington, Catcliffe and Alloa).[5] At the site are 10 businesses including glass artists, pottery, jewellers, textiles fine art and demonstrations of glass blowing along with a Coffee House and gift shop.[6]
A 1-acre (4,000 m2) site, on which the cone stands, was sold by John and Ann Southwell and Rebecca Stokes to Richard Bradley, a wealthy glass-manufacturer, on 21 June 1788. The cone was built by Bradley in partnership with his brother-in-law, George Ensell, for the manufacture of window glass.[7] Ensell installed a moving lehr in the cone, which remains today and is the only surviving one in the world.[1]
The cone received Grade II* listed building status on 23 September 1966.[8][9]
In April 2022, the Cone received a pledge of £1.5m from Dudley Council in order to restore the structure.[10] The restored cone was opened to the public in August 2024.
Representation in the media
[edit]The Red House Cone was featured in an episode of BBC Two's Great British Railway Journeys, in the episode Sarah Cordingley taught Michael Portillo how to make a lampwork bead.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Jason Ellis (2003). Glassmakers of Stourbridge and Dudley 1612-2002: A Biographical History of a Once Great Industry. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 1-4010-6798-0.
- ^ John Butt; Ian L. Donnachie (1979). Industrial Archaeology in the British Isles. Paul Elek Incorporated. ISBN 0-236-40157-2.
- ^ BBC Legacies: Red House Cone, Chris Upton (page 4)
- ^ Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council: Red House Glass Cone
- ^ Trinder, Barrie. Industrial Heritage of Britain (1992 ed.). AA. p. 12.
- ^ Red House Glass Cone entry on Culture24 Retrieved 9 December 2009
- ^ Trafford, John (15 May 2019). "The history of the Cones: Wordsley". Black Country Bugle. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1076007)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ Historic England. "Glass Cone At Stuart And Sons Red House Glassworks (Grade II*) (1076007)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ^ "£1.5m pledged to restore Red House Glass Cone at Wordsley". Stourbridge News. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "Dudley borough features on Michael Portillo's TV train show". Dudley News. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ Auraunul (12 January 2013), Stourbridge - Great British Railway Journeys, archived from the original on 13 January 2013, retrieved 13 June 2017
External links
[edit]- Red House Cone - official site