Red House Cone

{{Infobox monument

| name = Red House Cone

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| image = Redhouseglasscone.jpg

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| caption = Red House Cone

| location = Wordsley, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England

| designer =Richard Bradley and George Ensell

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| height = 90 feet (27 m)

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| complete = 1794

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}

File:Redhouseglasscone.jpg

File:Red House Glass Cone Cherry Picker - View from top of Cone (51102898536).jpg

The Red House Cone is a Grade II* listed glass cone located in Wordsley in the West Midlands, adjacent to the Stourbridge Canal bridge on the A491 High Street. It is a {{convert|90|ft|m|0|adj=on}} high conical brick structure with a diameter of {{convert|60|ft|m|0}}, used for the production of glass. It was used by the Stuart Crystal firm till 1936,{{cite book|author=John Butt|author2=Ian L. Donnachie |title=Industrial Archaeology in the British Isles|year=1979|publisher=Paul Elek Incorporated|isbn=0-236-40157-2}} when the company moved to a new facility at Vine Street.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/work/england/black_country/article_4.shtml BBC Legacies: Red House Cone], Chris Upton (page 4) It is one of only four complete cones remaining in the United Kingdom.[http://www.dudley.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums--galleries/red-house-glass-cone Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council: Red House Glass Cone]

It is one of four such structures in the UK and is currently maintained as a museum by Dudley Council. (The other three cones are at Lemington, Catcliffe and Alloa).{{cite book|title=Industrial Heritage of Britain|last=Trinder|first=Barrie|publisher=AA|edition=1992|page=12}} At the site are 10 businesses including glass artists, pottery, jewellers, textiles fine art and demonstrations of glass blowing along with a Coffee House and gift shop.[http://www.culture24.org.uk/am15082 Red House Glass Cone entry on Culture24] Retrieved 9 December 2009

A {{convert|1|acre|m2|adj=on}} site, on which the cone stands, was sold by John and Ann Southwell and Rebecca Stokes to Richard Bradley, a wealthy glass-manufacturer, on 21 June 1788. The cone was built by Bradley in partnership with his brother-in-law, George Ensell, for the manufacture of window glass.{{Cite news |last=Trafford |first=John |date=15 May 2019 |title=The history of the Cones: Wordsley |work=Black Country Bugle |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/black-country-bugle/20190515/281895889691901 |access-date=16 April 2023}} Ensell installed a moving lehr in the cone, which remains today and is the only surviving one in the world.{{cite book|author=Jason Ellis|title=Glassmakers of Stourbridge and Dudley 1612-2002: A Biographical History of a Once Great Industry|year=2003|publisher=Xlibris Corporation|isbn=1-4010-6798-0}}

The cone received Grade II* listed building status on 23 September 1966.{{NHLE |num=1076007 |accessdate=30 March 2008}}{{NHLE |num=1076007|desc=Glass Cone At Stuart And Sons Red House Glassworks|grade=II* |accessdate=8 October 2013}}

In April 2022, the Cone received a pledge of £1.5m from Dudley Council in order to restore the structure.{{Cite web |title=£1.5m pledged to restore Red House Glass Cone at Wordsley |url=https://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/20044436.1-5m-pledged-restore-red-house-glass-cone-wordsley/ |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=Stourbridge News |language=en}} The restored cone was opened to the public in August 2024.