The Red House Glass Cone was restored with financial support to the value of £1.7million, from Dudley Council, Advantage West Midlands, Heritage Lottery Fund, European Development Funding, English Heritage, and Stuart Crystal.
It opened as a visitor attraction in March 2002. It is one of four remaining glass cones in the whole of the United Kingdom and of these it is the best preserved, retaining its workshop buildings and canal side location. Built in the 1788-1794 period it is a Grade 2 * listed building and also a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The Red House Glass Works of which the Cone now forms part, was home to Stuart Crystal from 1881.
What to do at the Cone
Attractions at the Cone include glassmaking, permanent and temporary exhibitions; self guided audio tours, family activities, craft studios, a museum shop and the Crystal Tearooms.
The Cone itself is an iconic building and experiencing its unique atmosphere is the highlight of any visit.
Awards
The Red House Glass Cone has been accredited by VAQAS for the past 4 years and has won the following awards:
Heart of England in Excellence Awards 2005
Black Country Hotel and Tourism Awards 2006
Black Country Hotel and Tourism Awards 2007
Heart of England in Excellence Awards - 2007
Best of the West – Renaissance West Midlands (MLA) 2008
History
During the early 19th century a remarkable structure developed in Britain – the glass cone. The conical building was designed to channel air into the furnace to make the fires burn hotter. It also provided a large work space for the glassmakers. Throughout Dudley and Stourbridge areas there were many cones, but the densest concentration was in Amblecote and Wordsley.
Even after technology advanced and the cones were no longer needed to act as chimneys, the buildings were still used for glassmaking until many eventually fell into disrepair, were demolished or simply collapsed.
Today there are only four cones left standing in Britain and the Red House Glass Cone is the most complete example in Europe – the other three are located in Scotland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sheffield.
The Red House Glass Cone, which is 100ft high, was built around 1790. It was most recently home to Stuart Crystal who produced glass in the Cone until 1936. Production at their factory on the Cone site stopped in 2001 and the factory shop now closed.
The Red House Glass Cone has remained virtually unaltered in its 200 year old history and is now operating as a visitor attraction providing a fascinating insight into the history and tradition of glassmaking.
The self-guided tour around the Cone, visitor centre and canal give visitors a taste of what the site was like at its peak. Standing inside the Cone, and looking up, shows its scale and gives visitors an impression of what it would have been like to work inside this impressive structure. With contemporary glassblowing and cutting on site, as well as studio tenants in all the Cone's courtyard, the Cone continues to be a site of artistic design, innovation and history.
