Addison Potter's Firebrick Works

In 1846 Mr Potter, owner of Walbottle Colliery and Firebrick Works, built the Towneley Cokeworks, including 39 beehive coke ovens, at Willington Quay, with the help of Robert Simpson of Towneley Cokeworks near Ryton. Later in the same year Mr Potter began erecting a brickworks alongside the coke ovens. John Hawdon of Blaydon iron foundry supplied the works with a high pressure steam engine of 16 h.p., a grinding mill, a chain driven bucket elevator, a riddle and a pug mill. In 1851 the brick flats at Willington Quay were extended in order to dry retorts, and a joiner's shop was built above the extension. In February 1852 two new brick kilns were built. In the early 1880s the site was turned into lime and cement works.