Situated in the heart of the historic Stourbridge glassmaking district and built in the end of the 18th Century, the Cone was used for the manufacture of glass until 1936.
The cone itself reaches 100 feet into the sky, and enclosed a furnace (which you can climb through!) around which men made glass in non-stop 6 hour on and 6 hour off shifts for 140 years!
The furnace itself was kept at a constant heat of 1250 celsius for years on end to provide the raw materials for the manufacture of glass.
During its time the site remained virtually unaltered and an excellent audio tour (£2.50) and information panels take you on sequential progress through the factory including a live demonstration of glassblowing in the same location that it would have been manufacted when the factory was a going concern...
There is a gift shop selling souvenirs and craft items made on site, as well as a Stuart Crystal Factory Shop adjacent to the visitor centre.
For refreshments you can enjoy watching the canal boats chug by on the canal next to the museum from the cafe on site...
About 10 miles to the W of Birmingham centre.
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Phone: +44 (0) 1384 812750
Website: http://www.dudley.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums--galleries/red-house-glass-cone
Other Contact: FREE (Audio tour extra)
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on Aug 19, 2005
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