It was bought by the Wedgwood pottery company in 1937,[1] but disrepair and subsidence due to coal mining brought the hall close to demolition in the early 1980s.

[2] Barlaston Hall was probably designed by architect Sir Robert Taylor for Thomas Mills, an attorney from Leek, in 1756–58,[1] to replace the existing manor house that he had acquired through marriage.

[3] Following his death in 1931 the 380-acre (1.5 km2) estate was put up for sale and was bought by the Wedgwood pottery company in 1937, as a site to replace its operation in Etruria a few miles away in an industrial part of Stoke-on-Trent.

Save Britain's Heritage, with Kit Martin, architect Bob Weighton and engineering firm Peter Dann & Partners, formulated a plan to restore and protect the house.

The National Coal Board said that it would pay for the subsidence damage and preventative works to construct a raft under the building, so, early on 29 September 1981, Wedgwood offered to sell Barlaston Hall to Save Britain's Heritage for £1, on condition that the restoration was completed within five years, in default of which Wedgwood retained an option to repurchase the hall for £1.An independent trust was established to restore the house, starting with repairs to the roof.

However, the NCB reneged on the undertaking it had given at the public inquiry to pay for repairs to past subsidence damage, and for other preventative works, and offered £25,000 compensation under the Coal Act instead.

The certificates were quickly issued, forcing the hand of the NCB, which eventually agreed to pay £120,000 in compensation, to fund preventative works, and meet the legal costs.