Character in every piece
Hand-painted dots wander and handles wiggle. Those little quirks are proof a real person made it, and they're what makes it yours.
The studio
A little brick barn full of colour & joy
Pootle Pottery lives in a converted cow barn at the end of a bumpy Cheshire lane, with fields out of every window and clay dust on every surface.
Meet the maker
Hello! I'm the pair of muddy hands behind Pootle
I started making pots at a Tuesday-night evening class and, very quickly, Tuesday wasn't enough. A few years (and a lot of lopsided bowls) later, the spare barn became a studio and Pootle Pottery was born.
I make the things I'd want on my own shelves: pots with personality, colours that make you grin, and shapes that look like they might wander off when you're not watching. Alongside the clay I paint, mostly flowers, vases and the patchwork fields outside my window.
"Pootle" means to wander along with no particular hurry, which is exactly how I like to work. Nothing here is mass-produced, and nothing is perfectly straight.
pop by and say hi sometime x
1kiln, called Kevin
1240°final firing temperature
0perfectly straight lines
∞cups of tea
What Pootle is about
Three little promises
Small batches, big care
I make a handful of pieces at a time, so every one gets proper attention, from the first squish to the final glaze.
Made to be used
Mugs for wobbly morning brews, bowls for Sunday lemons. Stoneware fired hot and tough enough for everyday life, not just a shelf.
Not just clay
When the kiln's busy, the brushes come out
Painting is where a lot of my pot ideas start. Bold gouache still lifes, naive Cheshire landscapes and little studio scenes, available as originals and archival prints.
See the paintings
Good questions
Things people often ask
Can I visit the studio?
Yes please! I hold open studio weekends a few times a year, and you're welcome to book a visit in between. Just drop me a message and I'll send directions down the bumpy lane.
Do you take commissions?
I do: dinner sets, wedding gifts, lamps in your favourite colour, paintings of your home. Most commissions take 6–10 weeks, because clay likes to take its time drying and firing.
Are the pots dishwasher safe?
Mugs and tumblers are dishwasher and microwave safe. For footed and sculptural pieces I'd recommend a gentle hand-wash, so those little feet and frills last forever.
Do you post across the UK?
Absolutely. Everything is wrapped like it's going to the Moon in recycled and recyclable packaging. Local Cheshire collection from the studio is always free.
Do you run workshops?
Small, cosy Paint-a-Pot Socials with six seats, tea and cake. Dates appear on the visit page and in the Kiln Letter first.
Come and see it for yourself
Open studio weekends come with tea, cake, a seconds shelf and the chance to meet Kevin the kiln in person.