Bringing Barlaston Hall Back to Life: A New Chapter for Our Family and Staffordshire

There are moments in life when an opportunity appears unexpectedly and changes everything. For my wife Ann and I, that moment came with the chance to purchase Barlaston Hall, one of Staffordshire’s most historic and architecturally significant homes.

We had no plans to move. In fact, we were in the middle of upgrading our current home when the opportunity arose after a previous sale fell through. But some opportunities only come once, and we knew immediately that this was something truly special.

I am incredibly proud to say that Barlaston Hall will become our family home, and with that comes a deep sense of responsibility to protect and preserve its remarkable history for future generations.

Set within nine acres of beautiful grounds, the Grade I listed Georgian mansion also includes the deconsecrated St John the Baptist Church within the estate, a building with its own important heritage and community significance.

The Hall itself was built between 1756 and 1758 for a local attorney and designed by renowned Georgian architect Sir Robert Taylor, one of the leading architectural figures of the period. The property is deeply connected to the Wedgwood story and to the wider history of Staffordshire.

It feels particularly fitting that completion took place on May 1^st, the tenth annual Staffordshire Day, which also marks the anniversary of Josiah Wedgwood founding the Wedgwood company in 1759.

That connection means a great deal to me personally. My former business, Waterworld, was also built on Wedgwood land, and when I launched MOmentum Capital earlier this year, my ambition was to help discover and support the “Josiah Wedgwood of our time,” entrepreneurs whose creativity and vision can shape the future.

In many ways, owning Barlaston Hall feels like everything has come full circle.

While the Hall will become our private family home, this is not simply about ownership, it is about stewardship.

We are committed to restoring Barlaston Hall to its former glory, including plans to create a Georgian garden worthy of the property’s incredible heritage. Our aim is to respect the building’s architectural history while ensuring it has a vibrant future.

Importantly, we also want the wider community to continue enjoying parts of the estate. We hope to open the grounds to the public at selected times during the year and host a number of charitable events there.

We will also honour all weddings already booked for this year, ensuring couples can still celebrate their special day in such a beautiful setting.

The Church, meanwhile, has enormous potential to become a community focal point once again. We would love to see it used for events, workshops and activities that bring people together and breathe new life into the building.

One of the reasons this opportunity means so much is because Barlaston Hall has endured an extraordinary journey through history.

Over the decades, the Hall has played many different roles:

• In 1937, Wedgwood purchased the estate as part of its expanding Staffordshire operations.
• During the Second World War, the Hall was used by the War Office and served as a base for British Army units.
• From 1945 onwards, it became the Wedgwood Memorial College, a residential adult education college that educated generations of students.
• In the 1960s, severe mining subsidence caused major structural damage to both the Hall and Church, leaving them at serious risk of demolition.
• In 1981, the Hall was famously sold for £1 to SAVE Britain’s Heritage, helping secure its survival.
• The Church itself contains important memorials connected to the Wedgwood family.

The fact that these buildings survived at all is extraordinary. Many people fought to save them, and Ann and I fully appreciate that we are now custodians of a very important part of Staffordshire’s story.

This is undoubtedly a huge moment for our family, but it is also an exciting opportunity to preserve and celebrate one of Staffordshire’s great historic landmarks.

The plans are still at an early stage, and there is a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. But I genuinely cannot wait to begin this next chapter.

Barlaston Hall has stood for centuries. Our goal is to ensure it continues to stand proudly for centuries more.