Ever looked at a potter working at their wheel? Permit us to let you into a secret. The skill may take a little practice but the joy is immediate. In Lincolnshire, Oxcombe near Horncastle is celebrating its 10th anniversary with September’s third annual ceramics exhibition, a new permanent Maker’s Gallery plus a host of taster sessions and workshops if you fancy having a go yourself!

Come for the wheel, stay for the feel. It’s the friendly sense of camaraderie and the ability to explore creativity in a community of artists that has ensured Oxcombe near Horncastle has remained popular with its visitors, ever since founder Susanna Gorst first converted a disused barn on her farm into a pottery studio, back in 2014.

As the team celebrates Oxcombe’s 10th anniversary, there’s plenty to report on besides their anniversary with the studio’s third annual Art & Ceramics Exhibition – on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September –  coinciding with the opening of their new Maker’s Gallery which is designed to showcase the county’s homegrown talent, plus the exclusive domestic wares produced by in-house ceramicist Sophie Olivant. 

That’s in addition to the availability of Oxcombe vouchers, plus its taster sessions, introductory courses, termly classes and masterclasses which are all ideal for those keen to explore pottery and art plus festive ceramics workshops and even yoga sessions. Oxcombe has also invested in conference resources to enable businesses to enjoy this unique venue for team-building events.

During our visit the team was approaching the end of the venue’s summer break, allowing staff to take holidays, to embark on their annual deep clean and to perform maintenance of the studio and its kilns, as well as completing the build of the new Maker’s Gallery and enhancing the facilities for businesses to take advantage of Oxcombe’s converted events barn for offsites and team building. 

But the team all agree that when the studio reopens, as Pride goes to press, their regulars will be keen to return to the potters’ wheels and to reunite with the Oxcombe community.

“Better than therapy!” says Susanna. “That’s how one regular described it to us. Ability is less important than enjoyment, and whilst everyone soon benefits from the expertise of tutors to unlock their own creativity, it’s just as important to us that people enjoy their time here.”

Where to begin then? At the beginning, probably. Quite far back in fact, as Oxcombe is a medieval hamlet equidistant between Belchford, Burwell and Cadwell Park in the Wolds’ Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The house and adjacent 13th century church were both remodelled in the 1840s by Louth architect W A Nicholson. The lovely bucolic countryside surrounding it has long been a mixed farming operation where Aberdeen Angus cattle graze. The farmland is also home to crops, to grassland and to lots of species (barn owls and red kites, for example) among the chalkstreams and woodland. 

Susanna was inspired to develop Oxcombe’s original pottery by her own experience of attending classes and decided to convert a barn no longer used for farming, to expand that opportunity for others. 

“For some people, it’s about producing something beautiful or functional (or both) using one of the oldest materials in existence, and improving their techniques and skills. For others, though, it’s about the meditative pleasure of just enjoying the material, the setting, and the company.”

“We’ve always seen strong friendship groups developing during classes here. People talk as they work, as they break for coffee or they just sit and do something they really enjoy. It’s been proven that pottery and other crafts are tantamount to a meditative experience as it requires concentration, but a special mindful kind of concentration – engagement without expectation.” 

“We provide taster sessions and short courses for people who would like to try pottery for the first time, such as our popular Introduction to Ceramics courses, which are run on a termly basis, for three hours on a Tuesday evening or Saturday morning, over six weeks… or in the case of our intensive courses, over three days.”

“Alongside these are our regular termly classes available morning, afternoon and some evenings to continue your journey in art and ceramics.”

“As your confidence grows and you explore new techniques, we offer our masterclasses which focus on specific approaches or materials like slab-building, raku or porcelain. Eventually, some want to come and use the facilities we have here for their own self-guided sessions, working among others rather than alone in a home studio.”

There are probably a few reasons for the studio’s continuing success over its ten years, but to our mind the sheer friendliness of the Oxcombe community – and the development of the local ceramic talent it has consistently nurtured – are two reasons that the team, short of space, converted in 2019 and 2020 two further barns that are now used for exhibitions plus art classes and yoga sessions.

Classes are limited to a maximum of 10 people, so everybody gets plenty of attention. New fine art classes led by Kate Westcott provide drawing and painting tuition whilst visiting professionals provide classes on sculpture, host printing workshops or even provide creative development workshops 

for those who have become artists and makers as a result of their time at Oxcombe. That was the case with Kate Boulton, Julie Holmes, Stephanie Coggan, and Sue Bush who have all collaborated on their latest body of work celebrating the Lincolnshire coastline. 

The group’s members are among the local artists whose work is to be included in this year’s Oxcombe Art & Ceramics Exhibition alongside more than 600 examples of ceramics and 100 canvas-based works. All of the work has been produced in the area and it’s on sale with prices from a few pounds to a few thousands of pounds for home-grown artwork. 

With the festive season approaching, it’s an ideal opportunity to find a thoughtful and unique gift for a loved one. The same is true of the studio’s Artisan Christmas Market on Sunday 24th November from 10am. 

Alternatively, if you would prefer to make something of your own, Oxcombe Pottery is hosting a festive workshop on Friday 15th November from 6pm in which you can make a pretty stoneware tea-light house to admire all winter long. 

“We host taster sessions, pottery with afternoon tea, early-evening workshops and team-building days too,” says Susanna. “Because everyone is looking for their own unique experience we try not to be too prescriptive by offering vouchers so that recipients can choose for themselves. They can also be used to make a purchase from the Oxcombe collection.”

“We’re so delighted that over the past 10 years we’ve managed to create a fantastic creative community of local potters and artists. The joy of creating or owning something that is completely unique and has been made with care and attention is so special. The fact that we all have a wonderful time interacting with each other in the process makes Oxcombe an even more enjoyable place to spend time!”

Create and Connect at Oxcombe

Oxcombe Pottery Experiences, Morning, Afternoon, Evening: Selected dates. Learn how to hand-build tiles, decorate and have fun on the wheel £60 or focus on throwing pottery on a wheel. £75/person, discounts for groups, tea, coffee and artisan cookies included.

Pottery Experience with Afternoon Tea: Arrival from 2pm, hand-building/throwing, interval then time to finish and decorate your piece, followed by afternoon tea from 5pm, £85/person, groups and gift vouchers available.

Introduction to Ceramics: Six week course (6 x 3hr sessions) on Tuesday evenings from 6pm or Saturday mornings from 9.30am. Create different pieces using a variety of techniques from pinching, coiling, hard and soft slab building, and throwing on a potter’s wheel, £230. Intensive (three day) courses also available.

Art Classes with Kate Westcott: Drawing and painting classes with Kate, making use of the wooded farming landscape and gardens, £28/three hour sessions.

Yoga at Oxcombe: Yoga sessions with Lucy Dee Cawdron to develop strength and flexibility whilst promoting calmness.

Team-building and Groups: Bespoke packages available for groups up to 30, (e.g.: birthday, hen parties, corporate etc). Please call to discuss your bespoke requirements. Or hire our conferencing space for an offsite in a relaxing environment.

All events require pre-booking, please call 01507 534238 or see www.oxcombepottery.co.uk for details. Oxcombe Pottery is based at Oxcombe Farm, Horncastle, LN9 6LU.