HATHERNWARE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
The Full Story
About
Hathernware Industrial Estate is a long standing and established industrial site located in the heart of Leicestershire. Its roots trace back to 1902. when the Hathernware company, known for producing high quality pottery and ceramic products, was founded. Over the years, the estate has evolved from a small-scale pottery factory to a thriving industrial hun, with the expansioj of manufacturing and commercial enterprises.
Late 1800s
Born from the Earth
The story begins with the land itself. The area surrounding Hathern, just outside Loughborough, is rich in high-quality clay — a natural resource that attracted industrial pioneers in the Victorian era. In the late 19th century, the Hathern Station Brick & Terracotta Company was established adjacent to the mainline railway, offering ideal transport links for distributing heavy goods nationwide.
The factory quickly gained acclaim for its ornamental terracotta, used in grand buildings, and hard-fired bricks ideal for the growing railway and housing infrastructure. Its early products can still be found in historic facades and civic buildings across the Midlands and beyond.
Early 1900s
Rise of Hathernware
As engineering and urbanisation boomed in the early 20th century, the company evolved. It introduced a new line of industrial ceramics branded "Hathernware" — tough, salt-glazed stoneware pipes and fittings designed for drainage, sewage, and chemical-resistant infrastructure.
By the 1920s and 30s, Hathernware had become a go-to brand for municipalities and civil engineers across the UK. The company’s products were used in major civic works, including London’s sewers, military installations, and chemical plants, thanks to their exceptional durability and resistance to corrosion.
The site itself expanded significantly, with multiple kiln buildings, a rail spur for clay delivery and product dispatch, and a growing workforce drawn from the surrounding towns and villages.
1939-1945
War Effort and Wartime Industry
When World War II broke out, the Hathernware site — like much of British industry — was called to serve the national war effort. While much of the ceramic production continued to support critical infrastructure (including military airfields and bomb-proof drainage systems), the site also adapted to wartime needs in other ways.
-
Pipe and drainage components were supplied for military camps, munitions factories, and Royal Air Force stations across the Midlands and beyond.
-
Certain areas of the site were believed to have supported storage and logistical operations, with proximity to the railway line allowing rapid transport of goods and materials.
-
Workers were often exempt from military conscription due to the essential nature of their labour — Hathernware was considered part of the Home Front’s industrial backbone.
Despite frequent blackouts and the ever-present risk of air raids, the site remained operational. During this time, a strong sense of solidarity emerged among the workforce — with many women joining the factory floor to replace men who had gone to war.
Though records are incomplete, local accounts speak of long shifts, strict rationing, and quiet pride — Hathernware played its part not with fanfare, but with resilience and reliability.
Post-War Boom
The Industrial Backbone
Following WWII, Britain entered a rebuilding phase — and demand for robust infrastructure products surged. The Hathernware factory thrived once more, supplying critical components for post-war housing schemes, schools, roads, and hospitals.
In the 1950s and 60s, the site employed hundreds and ran round-the-clock shifts, producing pipes, gullies, interceptors, and other clayware items essential for national reconstruction. During this time, the estate added automated forming equipment and more efficient tunnel kilns, increasing output and modernising its operations.
It wasn't just a workplace — it became a community, with generations of local families working at the site. The nearby village of Hathern and the town of Loughborough owe part of their post-war growth to the economic engine that was the Hathernware factory.
1970s - 1990s
Reinvention in Motion
As building techniques evolved and plastic piping began to dominate, demand for traditional clay products declined. The kilns cooled, and by the 1980s, ceramic manufacturing at the site had ceased. But the story didn’t end there.
Rather than fall into disuse, the estate began a quiet reinvention. Former production buildings were repurposed into industrial units. The spacious layout and solid construction proved ideal for:
-
Light manufacturing
-
Vehicle repair and storage
-
Builders’ yards and wholesale depots
-
Logistics and warehousing
The name Hathernware remained — a nod to the site’s proud legacy — even as its purpose shifted to accommodate new forms of enterprise. Tenants began to see the estate not as an old ceramics site, but as a flexible, cost-effective home for growing businesses.
Today
A New Chapter
In recent years, Lee Brothers Properties took the reins of Hathernware Industrial Estate - bringing fresh vision and investment to a site rich with history.
Recognising the estates potential, we have undertaken and are in the process of undertaking an ambitious renovation, transforming tired units into modern, high spec spaces while preserving the character that makes this place unique.
With upgraded infrastructure, improved access and a renewed sense of purpose the estate has become a magnet for growing businesses - from skilled trades and logistics firms to creative workshops and service providers.
