Burslem town centre in 1790, “Maypole” marked at the top being roughly where the Town Hall now stands. “Locket’s Cob” was perhaps the town centre’s muck and fire-ashes heap, as it appears to be drawn as if a muck-heap. Though ‘shoard’ perhaps indicates a tip for pottery shards. Possibly it was both house-fire ashes and shards. Cob meant any thick round mass: as used in a cobble-stone, a cob-nut (hazelnut), a cob-coal (a coal lump smoothed down to a soap shape), or horse dung. Still in use today for a cob loaf of bread.

Diorama made from a map of Burslem in the 1730s, showing the location of the pottery in relation to the church. The church still stands today. The view is from south to north.