Fenton to receive first ever ceremonial mace to celebrate city’s Centenary

Fenton is set to make history with the unveiling of its first-ever ceremonial mace as part of Stoke-on-Trent’s 100th-anniversary celebrations.

Students from the University of Staffordshire have created the first-ever ceremonial mace for Fenton.

When the six towns united as the Stoke-on-Trent Federation (the forerunner of Stoke-on-Trent being granted city status) in 1910, Fenton was the only one not to hand down a piece of civic regalia.

More than a century later, this new ceremonial mace will give the town its own celebration of its heritage, culture and people.

Students from the BA (Hons) Product Furniture and Ceramics and MA Ceramics courses were given the opportunity to design a mace that honours Fenton’s historic ties to the early development of the ceramic industry.

After an intense process, the judging panel found it impossible to select a single winner. Instead, two standout teams were asked to collaborate - bringing together their design and engineering expertise to create the ultimate Fenton Mace.

The mace will be officially unveiled to the public at Fenton Town Hall before a special parade transports it to Stoke Town Hall, where it will take its place among the city’s civic regalia.

Highlights are:

• Friday 4 April: preview the new Fenton Mace - 10am-4pm, Ballroom, Fenton Town Hall
• Saturday 5 April: Celebrate the creation of the Fenton Mace - begins with a blessing at Christ Church, Fenton at 10am

Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Lyn Sharpe: “I’m so proud to be Lord Mayor of this amazing city, and it’s a huge honour to see my hometown of Fenton finally receive its own civic recognition.

“The students have put so much thought into the design, from the coat of arms to the forget-me-nots that symbolise Fenton as the ‘forgotten town’ of Arnold Bennett’s books.

“But we know Fenton is far from forgotten, and this mace will stand as a proud representation of the town for the next 100 years and beyond.”

Neil Brownsword, Professor of Ceramics at University of Staffordshire, said: “The Fenton Mace project has been great for students to reconnect to local histories that shaped the characteristics of Fenton. They have done a fantastic job of combining traditional references and symbolism through a contemporary lens, using a range of materials sponsored by local businesses.

“The technical expertise of these companies, alongside the challenges of working as a team have been hugely beneficial in expanding their professionalism and problem solving through the design process. It’s a great honour for the mace that the students have designed and created is another valuable contribution to Fenton’s rich history.”

BA (Hons) Product, Furniture, Ceramics student Maddie Sturmey said: “It’s been an honour to be a part of this prestigious occasion and to have had the opportunity to design and create the Fenton mace. We are really excited to showcase what we have been working so hard to achieve. We hope the people of Fenton love it as much as we do.”

The project has been made possible through support from sponsors including Valentine Clays, KMF Metal, AJ Philpott, and CJ Skelhorne Jewellers, with additional contributions from Duchess China 1888 and Lee Price.