English Terracotta Pots Explained

The Clay

My range of English terracotta pots are all made with 100% British clay, sourced from Stoke-on-Trent. No surprise considering Stoke is the World Capital of Ceramics!

Once the clay in its raw, extruded form has travelled down from the Midlands , it needs to be prepared. This involves 'wedging'; A process of kneading the clay to a) remove any air bubbles and b) to create an all-round smoother, more consistent, easier to work medium.

It's very important to remove any air pockets because should these remain they can cause flaws in the finished pottery.

The Making

Each pot is individually hand-thrown from cut lumps of the prepared clay. This messy job involves a lot of patience and quite a few hours of practice (quite the understatement!). Once the overall shape of a pot has been formed, it is time to apply the details. Lines, frills and motifs are all applied by hand. The closest a 'machine' comes to the entire part of the making process is a motor in the potters wheel.

Now the pots have been thrown, they cure for a number of days to ensure they are dry before heading into the kiln. From here the pots are stacked in a gas-fuelled, hand-made brick kiln and fired over a period of 2 days.

Temperatures reach around 1165°C before cooling off to a point when the kiln can be opened and the pots removed by hand.
 
View the range.