Various locations, North Devon
There is something deeply satisfying about pottery. The combination of raw material, skilled hands and fire produces objects that carry a warmth and individuality no factory process can replicate. North Devon has a proud ceramics tradition reaching back centuries and the studios working in that tradition today are producing some genuinely beautiful contemporary work.
Across the region you will find potters and ceramicists working in studios that are often open to the public, where you can watch the process, ask questions and choose a piece directly from the maker. That directness, knowing exactly who made the bowl you are holding and what went into its creation, is something that gives handmade pottery a value well beyond its price tag.
Look out for studios in and around Barnstaple, Bideford and the smaller villages of the Taw and Torridge valleys. Instow is a particularly good hunting ground, and Ilfracombe’s arts quarter has potters among its creative community. The work ranges from functional everyday pieces like mugs, bowls and plates to sculptural and decorative objects that respond to the local landscape in fascinating ways.
If you are staying in a Byron apartment, a handmade mug from a local studio is one of the most pleasing possible ways to start each morning of your holiday. There is a rightness to drinking your coffee from something made within a few miles of where you are sitting.
For those who want to go further, a number of studios in the area offer pottery taster sessions and workshops. Throwing a pot is one of those experiences that sounds easy and proves wildly absorbing once you start. Check local listings during your stay for upcoming open studio events, which are wonderful opportunities to meet the makers in their own environment and understand what this ancient and endlessly rewarding craft really involves.
