troika pottery
                     kernowuk
November 29 2021, 
22:20
CORNISH POTTERY
Throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the Pottery industry was thriving in Cornwall and
Studio Pottery was very popular. Local artists and ceramicists began setting up their own  
businesses, creating beautiful tableware, kitchenware and homeware items in striking  
designs. We explore a few of the Cornish potteries in this post
Bolingey Pottery
Bolingey Pottery sadly closed in the 1990s. Bolingey is a small villiage near Perranporth,
Cornwall. Perranporth has a lovely north coast beach that is extremely popular all year
round. Founded by Norman Taylor in the sixties, he moved from Coventry where he had  
worked as a travelling salesman, and learned the skill of p ottery at a local evening class.  
Clearly finding it enjoyable and seeing an opportunity, he and his family opened Bolingey  
Pottery. In the mid-sixties he enlisted the help of the highly skilled and experienced Mike  
Edwards who previously potted for Lakes Pottery. Pottery made by Michael Edwards  
generally has the word Perranporth underlined, occasionally you will find his initials as an  
accompanying identification mark.
Bolingey Pottery identification mark
Bolingey Pottery Ashtray
Fosters Pottery
Fosters Pottery was set up by the Foster Brothers in the late fifties, early sixties. Originally  
based in Redruth, on the site were the Tesco petrol filling station now stands, it employed  
approximately fifty people in it's hay day. The pottery was renowned for it's distinctive  brown 
honeycomb glaze. The honeycomb glaze was used in a variety of colours, on many  pieces of 
vintage pottery, from coffee sets and pots to collectable seal ornaments and fish  gurgle or 
glug glug jugs. In the mid-nineties, it moved to Wilson Way in Pool, near Redruth  where it 
ran under different management. One of the brothers, Reg Foster opened
Kernewek Pottery near Perranporth. Kernewek sadly had a fire in the kiln room in 1995  
which destroyed the facilities. They operated as a shop until 2005 when they closed.
Nevertheless, there are avid collectors of Fosters p ottery around the world who have  
impressive collections of the now retro homeware.
Fosters 
Pottery
Lakes Pottery
One of the oldest working potteries in Cornwall, Lakes Pottery was founded in 1872 in the  
city of Truro as W H Lake and Son. Truro is Cornwall's only city and known for the rather  
impressive Truro Cathedral. It was established at Chapel Hill Pottery, where the Truro  
Methodist Church now stands. Lakes Pottery served the community of Cornwall by  
producing lovely earthenware for a century. It was particularly known for it's large bowls  
and wide shallow bowls known as pancheons which were used for making bread - essential  
at a time where bread was baked daily at home. Lakes Pottery was destroyed by fire and
sadly closed down after struggling on for a few years. A very sad ending for such a well  
established and popular pottery. We are always particularly pleased to see any of their  
antique pottery and v intage kitchenware arrive with us.
Lakes Cornish Pottery Earthenware Jug
Leach Pottery
Bernard Leach founded Leach Pottery in 1920 in St Ives, Cornwall. From 1937 until 1979,  
they produced Leach Standard Ware, a range of domestic tableware - with Bernard's vision  
of engaging with the wider local community and creating a standard of pottery that could  be 
used domestically and purchased for a reasonable cost. Production of this popular
Standard Ware stopped upon the death of Bernard Leach. His wife Janet, worked on her  
own bowls until her death in 1997. It was very much a family business with their son David  
Leach managing the site from 1937 and developed the stoneware body that was used. Over  
the years there were many, many potters that worked with Leach, resulting in a lot of  
different identification marks. Vintage Leach Pottery is still in circulation today and can  also 
be seen at the Pottery Cottage which is now open as a museum, displaying great
examples of work carried out by some of the potters that have worked there.
Original standardware Celadon glaze by Leach 
Pottery
Porthleven Pottery
The Porthleven Pottery was based in the Cornish seaside town of Porthleven near Helston,  
until the late 1990s/2000, when the owners moved to New Zealand. Opening in 1967,
Graham Fern and his daughter Fenella created many fantastic pieces of pottery. The site  
was also home to a couple of potters before Graham, including Brian Jasper and Jon  
Cheney. Vintage pottery made by Graham Fern himself is marked with a 'gf' and Fenella  
pottery appears to be marked with an 'f'. There is little known about Fenella's time at the  
pottery, and her work is harder to find. Although many colours and designs were made,
some of the most sought after is a beautiful rustic red and orange. This Large Porthleven
 Pottery vase measures 31cm high, and is made by the iconic Cornish pottery.
Large Porthleven Pottery vase by Graham 
Fern
Let's see your vintage Cornish pottery!
We love seeing examples of local Cornish pottery, and we'd love you to share some of your  
collections with us. You can comment on this post, or you can post photos on our
 Facebook page. If you've worked for one of the potteries mentioned, please contact us!
We'd love to hear from you. There are many other Cornish Potteries that we haven't
explored in the blog post, including Tremar Pottery, Tintagel Pottery, Tremaen Pottery,  
Carn Pottery, Marazion Pottery, Troika Pottery and many many more.
 Kernow Furniture is online store based near Redruth, Cornwall. We hold a large
selection of furniture and decorative items. You can find many eras and styles of antique,  
retro, and vintage furniture, homeware and gifts. We offer fast national delivery on all  
items. We welcome viewings by appointment on 01209 316220.
kernow furnitu porthleven pottery pottery vintage 
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