The Towers

The Towers is a substantial 2-storey rectangular house built around 1880-1890 by Julius Whitehead, the founder of Clayton Fireclay Works, as his own residence. It is situated on a prominent hillside overlooking the works. The house features conventional window arrangements, but its materials and decorative details highlight Whitehead's products. It is constructed from double-sized, brown-red salt-glazed bricks, adorned with leaf-decorated fireclay plat bands and a frieze beneath a pot-bellied balustraded parapet. Each corner of the house is accented with crenellated salt-glazed brick and square turrets.

The entrance front has three windows, with two-light ground floor windows that feature decorative plaques similar to those found on Ceramic House, and the mullions also display fireclay leaf decoration. To the right of the doorway is a projecting rectangular bay with a two-light window, complemented by alternate white bricks in the frieze and a balustraded parapet with miniature turrets mirroring those on the roof. There is a fireclay leaf pattern sill band, and the upper parts of the sash windows contain colored glass.

The return garden front consists of four windows with similar details and decoration. The interior remains unaltered, showcasing frequent use of fireclay and tiles in its decoration. The drawing room fireplace is an early example of an underdrawn type with a suspended glazed tile hood. The staircase features salt-glazed treads with fruit and leaf decoration on the sides. Surrounding the house and grounds are numerous decorative salt-glazed wares produced by the firm, including urns, rustic seats, and reclining lions. This house is particularly unusual in an otherwise stone-built area.