The Warehouse @ Potbank brings exciting new addition to Stoke's creative quarter
Plus work starts on 24 restoration projects, a charity purchases Middleport and Port Vale Mill, and get ready for some cool Heritage Open Days in September…
🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot
Hi, how are you doing? Welcome to The Knot’s weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Before we get started, we want to send our send our thoughts to everyone affected by the devastating fires around the Sandyford and Goldenhill last Friday, with four homes lost and six firefighters hospitalised. A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, both from Stoke-on-Trent, have been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the incident.
Sadly, as we've seen in many parts of the country, fires have also broken out elsewhere across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire in recent days, including at Parkhall Country Park, Tamworth and Cannock Chase.
Now, onto some brighter news. We know that you are hungry for development and new things to do here in Stoke – and we are too. That’s why we were thrilled when the artist impressions of the Warehouse @ Potbank dropped in our inbox last week.
Representing the continuing evolution of The QUARTER at Potbank, it will open this autumn. Publicist Rob Stanway told The Knot, “The space is a larger version of our Factory Floor which we opened four years ago. The Factory Floor holds 140 now that it’s had a little extension, but the warehouse can hold between 300 and 500 depending on the setup. It really is geared toward larger events.”
Rob added, “We’ve got some tribute nights to begin with (the ABBA tribute on 9 October has already sold out but there’s a 90s DJ night on 16 October and lots more DJ nights planned) and then we move into Christmas parties. As for next year who knows, we hope to have some amazing gigs here.”
Who would you like to see play at this ace new space? Let us know in the comments!
Good News 🎉
🏟️A new place to go! Big changes are afoot at Quarter at the Potbank in Stoke, with plans to launch a new space, The Warehouse, this autumn. It will be a brand new late night venue with space for up to 500 and host everything from live music nights to weddings and other big events. Keep an eye on what’s coming up at their website: there are plenty of other great events to choose from, including a Glow in the Dark DJ night, Coldplay Live, 80s DJ Night, plus Christmas and New Year’s Eve events are also bookable.
🙇♀️ THE KNOT’S PEOPLE OF THE WEEK – OUR FAB STUDENTS 🙇♀️
There were celebrations at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) following a record-breaking year of A Level, T Level and vocational results for the class of 2026. More than 1,400 student entries recorded an overall pass rate of 99.2%, with 62.5% of students earning top grades of A*-B (58% in 2025) and 28.4% achieving A*-A (24% in 2025). Overall, 85.6% of entries achieved A*-C grades (85.3% in 2025). Over at the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College the overall A-Level pass rate reached 98%, with nearly 50% achieving top grades (A*, A, or B) and Stoke on Trent College achieved its strongest T Level results to date! Well done to all students who just got their results wherever you studied – we wish you all the best for the future!
🚲 Up to 1,000 e-bikes coming to Stoke. We know that they can be controversial, but there’s no denying they present an easy way to get around town and are a good option for shorter journeys. The bikes are set to be installed around the six towns and the scheme comes at no cost to the council, with an operator recruited to provide, maintain and manage the bikes.
🏗️ Work starts on 24 restoration projects. Work is set to start on revitalising 24 monuments and landmarks across the city thanks to a lottery restoration fund worth more than £240,000. Work has begun on the first eight monuments: Cenotaph and Memorial Wall, Tunstall Memorial Gardens; Sir Henry Doulton Statue, Burslem; Swan Square War Memorial, Burslem; Drinking Fountain, St John’s Square, Burslem; Hanley Cemetery War Memorial; Statue of James Brindley, Etruria; Tomb of Josiah Wedgwood, Stoke and Glebedale Park Memorial.
🏞️ Charity purchases Middleport Mill & Port Vale Mill. There’s a new lease of life ahead for Middleport Mill and Port Vale Mill on Milvale Street at Middleport, as the old buildings have been purchased by addiction charity Walk Ministries, which helps ex-prisoners and those at risk of prison get back on their feet. CEO Simon Paul Edwards said, “I believe Stoke-on-Trent has some of the most incredible industrial architecture in the country. We shouldn’t be embarrassed by our industrial past; we should be proud of it and find ways to make these buildings relevant again.”
😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. Ready to check out a brand new venue? Get tickets for a 90s DJ Night at the Warehouse at Potbank (16/10; arrive from 7pm, tickets from £8.25). Can’t make the date? There’s plenty more here.
If you love crafting, check out Contemporary Collage Live! at the University of Staffordshire (18/09 & 19/09, 10am-5pm; tickets £85), where the mornings will feature talks from leading collage artists and the afternoons will be dedicated to workshops. The Heritage Open Days listings are coming in now, and we like the sound of a Walking Tour Exploring Fenton’s Monuments & Stories (11/09, 1pm; meet at Fenton War Memorial, admission free). As part of the event, you are invited to bring or share photographs, stories, memories and memorabilia. The full listing for the Heritage Open Days is here, with events regularly updated.
The Stoke Rep is getting in the spooky mood early with its production The Ghost Train (29/09-03/10; 7.30pm; tickets £16.50), Arnold Ridley's classic comedy-thriller where a group of mismatched travellers become trapped overnight in a remote railway waiting room, terrified of encountering a phantom train; tickets from £31.72. Political satirist Jonathan Pie is at the Victoria Hall with his show The End of the World According to Jonathan Pie (22/10, 7.30pm; tickets from £25.26, over 14s only).
🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot
🛌 The PM wants to end rough sleeping. Here’s what charities in Stoke think: Don’t forget the families, says CEO of Gingerbread Family Support
🖼️ The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition is back! There’s more info here
😍 I’m The Knot’s No. 1 fan: This story from James is still highly clickable!
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):
Mon ☁️ 21° (15°) Tue 🌧️ 20° (12°) Wed 🌧️ 19° (10°) Thu 🌩️ 18° (9°) Fri 🌩️ 18° (8°) Sat 🌧️ 18° (8°) Sun ☁️ 19° (9°).
Sunrise 17/08: 05.52 ☀️ Sunset 17/08: 20.32 🌅
Did you know we were also building a recording studio in the next door grade 2 listed building? To complement this we are designing the acoustics within the Warehouse to eliminate as far as possible noise breakout, not only to ensure we don't disturb the neighbours but to also allow the space to be used when its not for events as a rehearsal space. This will mean bands and performers can stay in the Potbank hotel, record and mix in the Potbank Recording Studio (its looks just like Abbey Rd inside BTW) and then rehearse music and staging for tours or festival gigs in the Potbank Warehouse all in the same building.