Middleport Pottery is an authentic Visitor centre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is a Grade II* building. It was built in 1888 by Burgess & Leigh Ltd (founders William Leigh and Frederick Rathbone Burgess). The buildings, which still house an active pottery, are protected for their historic interest. The pottery was given listed building status in the 1970s. By this time six of the seven bottle ovens on the site had been demolished. The surviving bottle oven was given its own listing. In 1988 the course of the Trent and Mersey Canal through Stoke-on-Trent was designated a linear conservation area. Following renovations, Middleport Pottery was opened to visitors in 2014. Since it opened as a visitor destination, the pottery has won eight awards: a RIBA National Award for architectural excellence; three RIBA West Midlands Awards; a Europa Nostra Award for heritage; a Civic Trust AABC Conservation Award for building conservation; a Placemaking Award for heritage; and a Heritage Open Days’ Community Champions Award.
Due to it being a listed building, a sesame access lift was ideal in order to provide disabled access, without compromising the aesthetics of the building. It fits all legal requirements and blends seamlessly into the building. The access lift type that was installed was a Knightsbridge Lift. The Knightsbridge Stairlift is a set of horizontally retracting stairs with an upper landing rising barrier, and a rising button post on the platform. This access lift uses our wheel-stop mechanism. A solid stainless-steel toe guard that rises around the platform to prevent wheelchair wheels from rolling off the stairlift. It can accommodate up to 7 stairs, or a total rise of 999mm. The width of the stairs must match the minimum width of the lift but can be increased to the clients and/or the sites specifications. This access lift has an automatic rising barrier at the upper landing to protect the fall hazard that is created when the stairs retract. The Knightsbridge access lift accommodates seated users only as the wheel-stop protects wheelchairs from rolling off, not standing users. This access lift can come with either bellows to reduce the pit depth, or a solid stainless-steel skirt below the lift.
