Visiting the demolished site of the Rockingham pottery factories in Swinton, South Yorkshire, has been on my to-do-list for a few months. Earlier this year, when I conserved three beautiful Rockingham vases, I found out quite a lot of interesting history and information about the firm. Most notably I discovered that although the majority of the factory buildings had been destroyed by 1910, the Waterloo kiln, a gatehouse and the pottery ponds can still be seen today. These remains can be found quite easily in Swinton, on Blackamore Road (S64 8UX), there is a small car park which is open for use by visitors. Following a public footpath at the…