Firing the Kiln in the Park Bideford

THE STORY BEHIND

THE FIRING OF THE BURTON ART GALLERY BOTTLE KILN BIDEFORD

18^TH TO 22^ND SEPTEMBER 2013

A little more than 100 years ago, a casual visitor to Bideford would have been struck by the landmark forms of round bottle shaped ovens rising either side of the town bridge and in both directions along the River Torridge to Fremington and as far away as Barnstaple, by then as much a centre of government, education and learning as of the ages-old local industry of pottery.  The last such Bideford kilns fell into disuse and ultimate demolition by the 1^st World War, casualties of changing tastes and the industrialisation of pottery production which meant that local people looked much further afield even for everyday forms for the table and larder.  To commemorate this great ceramic heritage of North Devon, an oven of the same shape was built as a Millennium project in Victoria Park, beside the Burton Art Gallery – both as a monument to the past but also a focus for its practical expression through firing.

A number of firing events have subsequently been held there, both based around the work of professional potters as well as the product of school classes – notably A Harvest of Jugs in 2008 (see photos alongside) and Tales on Tiles the following year. This year’s event takes as its inspiration, the form and decoration of the sort of pots made in the 17^th century for local use and for export by sea to the eastern seaboard of the United States, notably to Jamestown. Images of such North Devon jugs and bowls, jars and platters, have been sent all around the country to present day makers working in the same slipware tradition, to remind them of a forgotten heritage of form and their particular decoration, and to invite them to make anew for a combined firing of slipware of great variety and interest.

So pots are currently being gathered together representing a historic harvest of creativity from as far afield as Cornwall and Scotland, and from the Continent and Virginia, in acknowledgment of the equally historic nature of the indigenous and transplanted history of slipware making there. The kiln master Philip Leach (www.springfield-pottery.com) together with a team drawn from local enthusiasts as well as potters from further afield like Nigel Lambert (www.nigellambertpotter.co.uk) and Sean Casserley (www.taenapottery.co.uk), will be setting the kiln from Wednesday 18^th September with prepared pots contributed by 20 – 30 different hands, with its wood firing taking place all day on Friday 20^th and the kiln opening scheduled to take place from 2pm on Sunday 20^th September.

All of these activities will be on view to visitors to Bideford and to its townspeople, and over the weekend commencing Friday 27^th September, there will be an opportunity to purchase a rare slice of Devon history at a kiln sale held at the Glove Factory workshop and gallery, Appledore (www.sandybrownarts.com). In commemoration of past glories, each pot will bear this year’s firing logo and date, marking them in time and association with what we hope will prove a successful and enjoyable event for locals and pot lovers alike. The proceeds will go towards the costs of holding a follow-on historically themed transatlantically inspired exhibition Pots Fish ‘n Ships due to be held at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum in Spring 2014.

Saturday Symposium -21 st September 2103 Bideford Arts Centre

                          

                             North Devon Festival of Pottery

                                                                                     Bideford & Barnstaple

                                                                                                       16^th to 22^nd September 2013

 

International Pottery Symposium              ** CLOSING DATE FOR BOOKINGS 16/09/13 **

Bideford Arts Centre & Burton Art Gallery and Museum

Saturday 21^st September 2013

9am to 5pm

 

A day of talks by 5 speakers from the West Country and Overseas complemented by

a handling session of early Devon and Somerset slipwares

 

Venues: Bideford ACL, The Arts Centre, The Quay, Bideford, EX39 2EY (main talks); Burton Art Gallery, Kingsley Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2QQ (handling session)

Entry:  Strictly by advance day ticket only, covering events at both venues.

Cost: £75. Please note only 20 paid delegate places available. Charge includes a quality buffet lunch plus tea/coffee.

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Speakers/presenters (in alphabetical order) and topics:

John Allan [Archaeologist]: The post medieval archaeology of the North Devon Potteries (talk)

David Dawson [Archaeologist]: An introduction to post medieval West Country slipware (handling session)

John Edgeler [Proprietor, Cotswolds Living Publications]:  Later North Devon and Studio Pottery sgraffito slipwares and their firing (talk)

Niek Hoogland [Slipware potter, Tegelen, Netherlands]: Low Countries slipware, its influences and development from post medieval times to the present day (talk)

Oliver Kent [Lecturer, Bristol School of Art]: The Bickley Ceramics Project: a 17^th century kiln reconstruction (talk)

Merry Outlaw [Curator of collections, Jamestown Rediscovery, Virginia]: Plain and Fancy: North Devon Pottery in Colonial America (talk)

 

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Provisional running order (all timings approximate):

 

9am     Commencement and welcome (John Edgeler), followed by John Allan (talk)

10am    Niek Hoogland (talk)

11am    Coffee and private handling session with David Dawson (Burton Art Gallery education room)

1pm     Buffet lunch (Bideford Arts Centre)

2pm     Merry Outlaw (talk)

3pm     Oliver Kent (talk)

4pm     John Edgeler (talk)

5pm     Close

The building of a new wood fired kiln at Petroc

The Story behind the building of a new wood fired kiln at Petroc

 

17th & 18th September 2013

 

The site chosen by the Festival organisers for the building of the first new wood fired in Barnstaple in over 100 years – at Brannams campus on the Roundswell industrial estate – has close connections with the pottery industry of North Devon as it was the site of the firm CH Brannam & co who were makers of slipware in the town for more than 100 years and significant local employers. The site is now occupied by Petroc, our co-funders of this project.

 

Slipware pottery made by Brannam’s continued to be fired in a traditional bottle kiln until the 1980s, although we are taking the opportunity to bring the tradition up to date through commissioning the leading kiln builder of his generation, Joe Finch, to lead a workshop of potters and enthusiasts to construct a contemporary design of kiln using modern materials. Joe’s father Ray Finch, a leading figure of the Studio Pottery movement, worked for 70 years at Winchcombe, set up in the 1920s by Michael Cardew, and continued in operation to this day by the Finch family.

 

After the build is complete, the intention is to fire the kiln with recycled pallet wood obtained from local firms, and in another nod to pot history, Joe is making a small range of contemporary slipware pots for the first firing, some with simple combed decoration. It was the similarly decorated pudding basins and other wares made at the Fishley Pottery in Fremington in the 19th century that first inspired Cardew to produce a range of standard forms.

 

Assuming a successful firing, the pots will then be sold at a Pot and Produce event being held at Bideford Pannier Market on Friday 20th September. This is also the day of the wood firing of a smaller version of the old Brannam’s bottle kiln in Victoria Park, Bideford, constructed as a Millennium project to a Clive Bowen design – himself a follower of the slipwares of Michael Cardew and lover of the same North Devon pottery and forms that inspired them both to make.  Joe will also be providing a throwing masterclass at Bideford Arts Centre as part of the Festival.

 

 PETROC KILN BUILDING WORKSHOP

 

Brannams Campus, Roundswell Industrial Estate, Barnstaple, EX31 3NJ

 

~ A two day wood fired kiln building workshop

~ led by the nationally known Joe Finch

~ A hands on opportunity to learn kiln building skills

~ A few paid places still available at £120

 

For details and information:

 

VISIT: www.petroc.ac.uk/kiln

RING: 01271 345 291

 

anewenglandcargo.wordpress.com       

           

Can’t have too many pots !

Hannah McAndrew.

Hannah McAndrew slip trailed dish.

 

I haven’t used the lethal copper slip under lead glaze that I assume Mr Cardew used on his.

 

Michelle Erickson at the White Moose Gallery Barnstaple

Michelle Erickson

Ceramic Artist
Thursday 19 September at 19.00

Will be at the contemporary arts gallery in Barnstaple
Working in Virginia (USA) Michelle’s practice is rooted in the historic traditions of pottery making. Her work is narrative in nature, creating contemporary pieces that deal with the human experience through a framework of social, political and environmental issues. During 2012 Michelle undertook a residency at the V&A, London. Michelle will give a presentation as part of the North Devon Pottery Festival which runs from 16 to 22 September.