The Walking Tea Pot was originally designed in 1973 by Roger Michell and Danka Napiorkoswka in the Lustre Pottery studio in Malton, Yorkshire. Exhibited through Strangeways in the King's Road it rapidly acheived international notoriety and success. The designers signed a contract with Carlton Ware to produce the designs to fulfill public demand and continued to design many shapes for them that are distinguished by the Carlton Ware logo accompanied by a © Lustre Pottery.

Carlton Ware closed down in 1988 and its sister factory, Price Kensington continued to make some of the most popular designs, although the quality was somewhat poorer.

Lustre Pottery continued to produce small, collectors editions, hand-made in the studio. "Rising Hawk" owned by Christopher Strangeways also made some Walking Ware designs notably the "Long John Silver" or "Peg Leg" range, a tea set with a peg leg and a decorative parrot on the side.