If you’re looking for a creative escape, hand building with clay offers the perfect opportunity to slow down and get hands-on with this timeless craft. Nestled in the peaceful hillside at Chillaton, our well-equipped pottery studio is designed to offer a personal, informal, and affordable pottery experience.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or have some experience, we invite you to explore, create, and enjoy the therapeutic world of hand building.
What Will You Learn?
During this hands-on session, you’ll be introduced to various techniques in hand building pottery:
Slab Building – Learn how to roll clay evenly using guides and rolling mats to create:
Tumblers, mugs, jugs, bowls, platters
Model houses, clocks, and candle holders
Hollow forms using plaster molds
Coil Building – Use coils of clay to build both small and large sculptural or functional pieces.
Solid Forming & Pinching – Shape clay by hollowing solid lumps to create imaginative, sculptural forms or pinch pots.
What’s Included?
Expert-led pottery lesson
All tools, materials, and firing
Tea, coffee, and light refreshments
What to Bring?
Just yourself!
We provide aprons and towels.
Important:
Wear sensible shoes
Tie long hair back
Remove jewellery, watches, and bangles
Can I Keep My Work?
Yes! Once your pottery is dry, we’ll fire it for later collection.
You can also return for a follow-up glazing session where we’ll guide you through techniques and styles using our vast glaze collection.
We hold finished pieces for up to 6 weeks due to limited space.
Is It Suitable for Children?
Absolutely! We welcome participants ages 8 and above.
Children under 16 are half price.
How Many Per Session?
We keep our class sizes small, typically 2–4 people for personal attention.
Anything Else to Know?
Due to low beams in our pottery studio, hard hats are required (we’ll provide them).
For seated activities like hand building, they can be removed.
Book your session today and discover the joy of hand building with clay in a warm, welcoming environment!
