Swadlincote: South Derbyshire's Former Pottery Town at the Edge of the National Forest
Swadlincote grew up on clay. The town was a centre for pottery, pipe making, and sanitary ware production from the 18th century onward. Sharpe's Pottery, which operated for over 170 years, closed in 2010, but the Sharpe's Pottery Museum on West Street preserves the kilns and tells the story. The population of Swadlincote and its immediate suburbs (Newhall, Church Gresley, Midway) is around 36,000. The town sits in the South Derbyshire district, about 12 miles south of Derby and right on the Leicestershire border. Burton upon Trent is six miles to the west.
The National Forest, an ambitious tree-planting project covering 200 square miles across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire, has its heart near Swadlincote. Rosliston Forestry Centre and Conkers visitor centre at Moira are both close. The town centre on the High Street and the Pipeworks retail park handle local shopping. Swadlincote does not have a railway station; the nearest are Burton upon Trent and Derby, both accessible by bus. The A444 runs south to the M42 at junction 11, and the A511 connects to the M1 at Castle Donington. For those interested in adult companionship in south Derbyshire, Swadlincote's road connections put Derby, Burton, and the East Midlands corridor all within a short drive.
Show more
Swadlincote grew up on clay. The town was a centre for pottery, pipe making, and sanitary ware production from the 18th century onward. Sharpe's Pottery, which operated for over 170 years, closed in 2010, but the Sharpe's Pottery Museum on West Street preserves the kilns and tells the story. The population of Swadlincote and its immediate suburbs (Newhall, Church Gresley, Midway) is around 36,000. The town sits in the South Derbyshire district, about 12 miles south of Derby and right on the Leicestershire border. Burton upon Trent is six miles to the west.
The National Forest, an ambitious tree-planting project covering 200 square miles across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire, has its heart near Swadlincote. Rosliston Forestry Centre and Conkers visitor centre at Moira are both close. The town centre on the High Street and the Pipeworks retail park handle local shopping. Swadlincote does not have a railway station; the nearest are Burton upon Trent and Derby, both accessible by bus. The A444 runs south to the M42 at junction 11, and the A511 connects to the M1 at Castle Donington. For those interested in adult companionship in south Derbyshire, Swadlincote's road connections put Derby, Burton, and the East Midlands corridor all within a short drive.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
