Steel Man statue to return to original foundry as Stoke-on-Trent celebrates its industrial heritage

The iconic Steel Man statue is set to return to the foundry where it was originally cast, reinforcing its place in Stoke-on-Trent’s industrial heritage.

The statue will move on Monday 9 March to Goodwin PLC, where it was originally cast in 1974, and will remain on public display at a site closely linked to its industrial origins.

Created by local sculptor Colin Melbourne and commissioned by the Shelton and Steel Action Committee, Steel Man pays tribute to the workers of Shelton Bar Steelworks. The steelworks played a central role in shaping the city’s economy and identity from the mid-19th century until its closure in 1978.

In Hanley, Steel Man’s current location will become the home of a new statue honouring the often overlooked women who helped shape the ceramics industry.

At the start of the 20th century, women made up nearly half of the workforce in the local pottery industry. Their roles were often overlooked, underpaid and undervalued, with men typically taking on the most skilled and lucrative positions.

Despite this, women played a vital role in the creation of ceramic products that were exported around the world, helping to secure the city’s global reputation and ultimately contributing to Stoke-on-Trent receiving city status in 1925.

“It’s great that Steel Man is set to return home to the foundry where it was originally cast. It’s a proud symbol of our industrial heritage and it will continue to tell that story in a new setting.

This is about giving recognition to a part of our history that has too often gone unrecognised.

Women were often the backbone of the ceramics industry – decorating and finishing some of the world’s most iconic pottery, often without the recognition or pay that men received.

For every Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper, there were hundreds of women whose names we don’t recognise but whose skill and labour made this city what it is. This new statue is a proud, permanent tribute to their work and their place in our history.”

— Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council

When Steel Man was first cast, ex-blastfurnaceman Jesse Clarke was one of the men chosen to model for the statue. Jesse, the last in a long line of Clarke family members to have worked at Shelton Bar, modelled for sculptor Colin Melbourne.

Jesse’s niece, Julie Taylor said: “I remember when Uncle Jesse first told us about this – he did have his leg pulled a lot about his new modelling career!

“We were proud though. I was only young but I know how proud everyone was. I remember my mum telling people about it.

“There was a bit of a family history with Shelton Bar. My grandad - another Jesse Clarke - worked there as well as quite a few generations of the family.

“When the statue was first created, we were told it might go to the National Union of Blastfurnacemen’s headquarters in London or even be melted down into small pewter models.

“I’m pleased that it will remain on public display here in the city where he lived and worked.

“At the same time, it feels right that this new statue acknowledges the women whose contributions were so often overlooked in one of the industries this city was built on.”

The relocation and the new ceramics statue, first announced in July 2025, will be funded by Goodwin at no cost to the public.

The move keeps Steel Man in a setting that reflects its origins while creating space to recognise more of the people who helped build Stoke-on-Trent and the industries that made it world famous.