Winchcombe Pottery
Encyclopedia
Winchcombe Pottery, near Winchcombe in Northern Gloucestershire, is an English
craft pottery founded in 1926.
, which continued until 1914 when the outbreak of the Great War caused its closure. It its later years this was known as Greet Potteries under the management of R A Beckett (who died in 1913) and produced a range of farmhouse ware, or as said in advertisement of the time "Garden, Sea-Cale, Rhubarb, & Chimney Pots". The pottery did not restart again after the 1st World War .
Bernard Leach
is credited with restarting craftsman pottery in Britain in 1920. One of his early students was Michael Cardew
who, at 25, was looking for a suitable site for his own pottery and in 1926 rented the old pottery buildings. Influencing his choice were the availability of local clay and the original bottle kiln. Cardew recruited two locals, critically Elijah Comfort, aged 63 and who had worked before in the pottery, and inspirationally, in 1927, Sidney Tustin (aged 13).
Cardew wanted people to use his pottery in regular daily use, as has been the tradition in early centuries. He followed the classic English slipware style using the red earthenware Winchcombe clay. After a difficult star and many trials, he managed to start slipware production. Experiments with firing the pots in the bottle kiln were eventually successful. For the produce of three men, the bottle kiln was really too large but it was what they had. A firing went on for three days. Gradually Cardew's skills and hard work were recognised. In 1935 he had one of his pots exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1935 the team was expanded to include Charlie, Sid's younger brother. A young chemist called Ray Finch tried to join the pottery staff in 1935 but was sent away by Cardew to gain some pottery experience. Finch returned in 1936, aged 22, and was able to convince Cardew that he now knew enough and he joined the team.
Cardew was a restless spirit and left to set up Wenford Bridge in Bodmin as his new pottery, leaving Finch to run Winchcombe Pottery. The 2nd World War caused the Tustin brothers to be called up and the bottle kiln was now too large. A small kiln was constructed in 1940. In 1943, Finch was called up and the pottery closed.
Finch had always been inspired by the Japanese potter Shoji Hamada
, and starting experiments with stoneware in 1952.
A new stoneware kiln was built and slipware production continued using electric kilns until 1964 when all production switched to stoneware. In 1974 a wood fired kiln was built to replace the oil fired kiln for stoneware production and is still in use.
Two of Ray Finch's sons followed their father's career. Mike Finch runs Winchcombe Pottery and Joe Finch runs his own pottery in Wales. Ray Finch, now in his nineties, still works full time at the pottery.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
craft pottery founded in 1926.
Early history
From 1800 (and probably earlier) there has been a pottery on the current site in Greet just one mile North of WinchcombeWinchcombe
Winchcombe is a Cotswold town in the local authority district of Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, England. Its population according to the 2001 census was 4,379.-Early history:...
, which continued until 1914 when the outbreak of the Great War caused its closure. It its later years this was known as Greet Potteries under the management of R A Beckett (who died in 1913) and produced a range of farmhouse ware, or as said in advertisement of the time "Garden, Sea-Cale, Rhubarb, & Chimney Pots". The pottery did not restart again after the 1st World War .
Bernard Leach
Bernard Leach
Bernard Howell Leach, CBE, CH , was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery"-Biography:...
is credited with restarting craftsman pottery in Britain in 1920. One of his early students was Michael Cardew
Michael Cardew
Michael Cardew, OBE, was an English studio potter who worked in West Africa for twenty years.Cardew was the fourth child of Arthur Cardew, a civil servant, and Alexandra Kitchin, the eldest daughter of G.W.Kitchin, the first Chancellor of Durham University...
who, at 25, was looking for a suitable site for his own pottery and in 1926 rented the old pottery buildings. Influencing his choice were the availability of local clay and the original bottle kiln. Cardew recruited two locals, critically Elijah Comfort, aged 63 and who had worked before in the pottery, and inspirationally, in 1927, Sidney Tustin (aged 13).
Cardew wanted people to use his pottery in regular daily use, as has been the tradition in early centuries. He followed the classic English slipware style using the red earthenware Winchcombe clay. After a difficult star and many trials, he managed to start slipware production. Experiments with firing the pots in the bottle kiln were eventually successful. For the produce of three men, the bottle kiln was really too large but it was what they had. A firing went on for three days. Gradually Cardew's skills and hard work were recognised. In 1935 he had one of his pots exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1935 the team was expanded to include Charlie, Sid's younger brother. A young chemist called Ray Finch tried to join the pottery staff in 1935 but was sent away by Cardew to gain some pottery experience. Finch returned in 1936, aged 22, and was able to convince Cardew that he now knew enough and he joined the team.
Cardew was a restless spirit and left to set up Wenford Bridge in Bodmin as his new pottery, leaving Finch to run Winchcombe Pottery. The 2nd World War caused the Tustin brothers to be called up and the bottle kiln was now too large. A small kiln was constructed in 1940. In 1943, Finch was called up and the pottery closed.
Post war years
In 1946 Finch bought the business off Cardew and restarted the pottery with the help of Sid. The staff expanded and at last the bottle kiln was seeing proper usage. Students joined the pottery staff to learn the craft as they worked and many of them subsequently went on to be established potters in their own right. But the business was not as successful as hoped and in the early 1950s, the pottery was downsized. The last bottle kiln firing took place in 1954.Finch had always been inspired by the Japanese potter Shoji Hamada
Shoji Hamada
was a Japanese potter. He was a significant influence on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and a major figure of the mingei folk-art movement, establishing the town of Mashiko as a world-renowned pottery centre.- Biography :...
, and starting experiments with stoneware in 1952.
A new stoneware kiln was built and slipware production continued using electric kilns until 1964 when all production switched to stoneware. In 1974 a wood fired kiln was built to replace the oil fired kiln for stoneware production and is still in use.
Two of Ray Finch's sons followed their father's career. Mike Finch runs Winchcombe Pottery and Joe Finch runs his own pottery in Wales. Ray Finch, now in his nineties, still works full time at the pottery.