Philip Laureston Houses
I hope to add to this site as more information becomes available.
I will attempt to keep a record of changes so that any interested viewer can see how the site develops.
I will attempt to keep a record of changes so that any interested viewer can see how the site develops.
17th. May 2010 Initial launch of this site.
6th. July 2011 I had hoped to be able to update this site more frequently but new models have proved hard to find. This time I have added 3 new houses in the Spanish Villas series (7, 8 and 10) and a version of the Village Store 740 from the Ambrosia Creamed Rice promotion with the different back stamp. I have also identified the moulding used for the Devonshire Inn (Hare and Hounds 738) in the Ambrosia series.
I have been very kindly sent copies of various catalogues and brochures for other products from the various potteries in the Philip Laureston history. I have not included them as they are not directly relevant to the houses and I am fast approaching my size limit for the web site with my service provider. If you are interested please contact me directly and I will see if I can help.
12th September 2011 I have found a painted model of Queens Arms 861 to replace the one I had which was unpainted.
25th February 2012 I have found a painted model of The Prospect of Whitby 929 to replace the one I had that was unpainted.
22nd July 2013 I have found a model which is clearly the Mill number 701 but which is being sold by another company. There is a label over the back stamp showing it was sold by Stephanie Gale as a perfumed product. The advice is to top up the perfume effect by applying drops to the back of the model. Being porous this is probably quite effective.
10th October 2014 It has been a slow year for new models but I have found a few new ones. First is a painted version of 754 George Street which replaces the unpainted one I had. I then found an unnumbered model of a block of flats named Ross Jaye which I have never seen before. Then I acquired 957 the National Waterways Museum and a further unnumbered Mediterranean type building which I think must be a church. Finally I found a lovely model of the Herm Island Cottage at a boot sale. Not marked PL but most definitely one of their products.
8th March 2016 Another slow time for finding more models. First I managed to find a a painted 768 Coach and Horses to replace the unpainted one I had originally.
I then found 757 Terrace House with a right hand door and an identical model but with Love Lane on it (these match the equivalent 758 models which have left hand doors). This was a long awaited model and filled a missing hole in the 700 series.
I also managed to acquire 751 which was the left hand end of a run of terrace houses. The problem is that there is also a completely different model with a clear 751 on the back which is the Sea View B&B. My guess is that the Sea View model is the mistake as the terrace house is the first of a series of such models all with 75x numbers. Wether this is a production error or a situation where two separate models were given the same number I cannot say.
Another nice surprise was another was a new model of what I call the Mediterranean houses. Number 11 this time.
A couple of odd ones were 756 scribed Peter Nicholson Town House 1719 and 762 scribed Roger Pratt Town House 1769. These inscriptions are the only difference from the standard model.
Another oddity was SG710 a special for the Shamrock Gift Co in Dublin. This one based on 761 Union Street.
13th January 2017 Found one of my missing models Cotton & Co. 1987 which had a surprise in the number, which was EV 738 the same as The Hare and Hounds, which itself is the same mould as The Devonshire Inn from the Ambrosia set. Very confusing. I was also lucky to acquire a couple of painted models to replace those I only had in white. These were 856 The George And Dragon and 923 The Weston Village Stores.
Also added 2 more Mediterranean houses Number 1 and Number 3.
4th September 2017 A most unusual addition in the Umbria Uppsala Slott. This is a real castle in Sweden so I guess was made as a souvenir for the castle.
16th November 2018 It has been a while since anything new has been found but now a flurry of activity. First I have been advised that Philip Laureston has sold his interests in Laureston Designs and I have updated the history page accordingly. The good news is that I have acquired two more of the Portmerion series 901 The Campanile and 903 The Dome. I also now have photos of the other two in the series that have been added to the wanted models page page 904 The Collonade and 905 the Town Hall. Finally something of an oddity. I have a model that looks like 701 The Mill but without the waterwheel. It has the number 1 in a circle on the back and can be found in the Oddities section. I presume this is a model from the early days before the various 700, 800, 900 series classifications were created.
9th July 20019 Another sparse period but now have 3 new models. The first is another of the Portmeiron series number 905 Town Hall. I also acquired another model that the seller was adamant that he bought at Portmeiron in the 1980’s and was sold to him as a trial model. It has no markings on the back but is clearly a Philip Laureston product so I have given it the number 900 Portmeiron House. Finally I have acquired Rose Cottage from the Ambrosia Creamery promotion and completes my models of the advertising set. It uses the same model as 741 Rose Cottage but with a different backstamp.
19th March 2020 A couple of rare items added this time. Two more (930 and 931) added from the Babbacombe Model Village series.
25th May 2020 A further model in the Babbacombe Model Village added (933). I wonder how many more were made?
3rd July 2023 I expect you thought I had given up. No it’s just a lack of new models. However I have 3 new houses, One is what I call The Gatehouse and was on my wanted list. There is no number. The second is what I call the Medieval Arcade, again with no number and the third is another from the Shamrock Gift Shop No. SG703 Joyce’s Dublin which uses the model 752 as the base.
21st February 2024 A most unusual find, brought to my attention by a fellow collector (many thanks) who saw them on eBay. They are not flat back but fully 3D with detailed backs. They have ink stamped Philip Laureston identification marks on the base and I hae numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6. I assume 1 and 2 exist but I have no idea how many more there are. Number 3 seems to be the same as 703, and so on for 4 with 704 and 5 with 705. 6 is a bit different as whilst similar to several thatched roofed models it is not a direct match to any othe rmodel. The castings a a bit crude compared to the 700 series so I wonder if there are very early models before the 700 series was created. Any information gratefully receied.
12th September 2011 I have found a painted model of Queens Arms 861 to replace the one I had which was unpainted.
25th February 2012 I have found a painted model of The Prospect of Whitby 929 to replace the one I had that was unpainted.
22nd July 2013 I have found a model which is clearly the Mill number 701 but which is being sold by another company. There is a label over the back stamp showing it was sold by Stephanie Gale as a perfumed product. The advice is to top up the perfume effect by applying drops to the back of the model. Being porous this is probably quite effective.
10th October 2014 It has been a slow year for new models but I have found a few new ones. First is a painted version of 754 George Street which replaces the unpainted one I had. I then found an unnumbered model of a block of flats named Ross Jaye which I have never seen before. Then I acquired 957 the National Waterways Museum and a further unnumbered Mediterranean type building which I think must be a church. Finally I found a lovely model of the Herm Island Cottage at a boot sale. Not marked PL but most definitely one of their products.
8th March 2016 Another slow time for finding more models. First I managed to find a a painted 768 Coach and Horses to replace the unpainted one I had originally.
I then found 757 Terrace House with a right hand door and an identical model but with Love Lane on it (these match the equivalent 758 models which have left hand doors). This was a long awaited model and filled a missing hole in the 700 series.
I also managed to acquire 751 which was the left hand end of a run of terrace houses. The problem is that there is also a completely different model with a clear 751 on the back which is the Sea View B&B. My guess is that the Sea View model is the mistake as the terrace house is the first of a series of such models all with 75x numbers. Wether this is a production error or a situation where two separate models were given the same number I cannot say.
Another nice surprise was another was a new model of what I call the Mediterranean houses. Number 11 this time.
A couple of odd ones were 756 scribed Peter Nicholson Town House 1719 and 762 scribed Roger Pratt Town House 1769. These inscriptions are the only difference from the standard model.
Another oddity was SG710 a special for the Shamrock Gift Co in Dublin. This one based on 761 Union Street.
13th January 2017 Found one of my missing models Cotton & Co. 1987 which had a surprise in the number, which was EV 738 the same as The Hare and Hounds, which itself is the same mould as The Devonshire Inn from the Ambrosia set. Very confusing. I was also lucky to acquire a couple of painted models to replace those I only had in white. These were 856 The George And Dragon and 923 The Weston Village Stores.
Also added 2 more Mediterranean houses Number 1 and Number 3.
4th September 2017 A most unusual addition in the Umbria Uppsala Slott. This is a real castle in Sweden so I guess was made as a souvenir for the castle.
16th November 2018 It has been a while since anything new has been found but now a flurry of activity. First I have been advised that Philip Laureston has sold his interests in Laureston Designs and I have updated the history page accordingly. The good news is that I have acquired two more of the Portmerion series 901 The Campanile and 903 The Dome. I also now have photos of the other two in the series that have been added to the wanted models page page 904 The Collonade and 905 the Town Hall. Finally something of an oddity. I have a model that looks like 701 The Mill but without the waterwheel. It has the number 1 in a circle on the back and can be found in the Oddities section. I presume this is a model from the early days before the various 700, 800, 900 series classifications were created.
9th July 20019 Another sparse period but now have 3 new models. The first is another of the Portmeiron series number 905 Town Hall. I also acquired another model that the seller was adamant that he bought at Portmeiron in the 1980’s and was sold to him as a trial model. It has no markings on the back but is clearly a Philip Laureston product so I have given it the number 900 Portmeiron House. Finally I have acquired Rose Cottage from the Ambrosia Creamery promotion and completes my models of the advertising set. It uses the same model as 741 Rose Cottage but with a different backstamp.
19th March 2020 A couple of rare items added this time. Two more (930 and 931) added from the Babbacombe Model Village series.
25th May 2020 A further model in the Babbacombe Model Village added (933). I wonder how many more were made?
3rd July 2023 I expect you thought I had given up. No it’s just a lack of new models. However I have 3 new houses, One is what I call The Gatehouse and was on my wanted list. There is no number. The second is what I call the Medieval Arcade, again with no number and the third is another from the Shamrock Gift Shop No. SG703 Joyce’s Dublin which uses the model 752 as the base.
21st February 2024 A most unusual find, brought to my attention by a fellow collector (many thanks) who saw them on eBay. They are not flat back but fully 3D with detailed backs. They have ink stamped Philip Laureston identification marks on the base and I hae numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6. I assume 1 and 2 exist but I have no idea how many more there are. Number 3 seems to be the same as 703, and so on for 4 with 704 and 5 with 705. 6 is a bit different as whilst similar to several thatched roofed models it is not a direct match to any othe rmodel. The castings a a bit crude compared to the 700 series so I wonder if there are very early models before the 700 series was created. Any information gratefully receied.