The Leach Pottery - frequently asked questions
Visiting the Leach Pottery
Are you open during the holidays?
Our Shop, Gallery and Museum opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am - 5pm and Sunday, 11am - 4pm (March to October). Please note last admission to the Museum is one hour before closing. If you’re making a special trip it is advisable to check online before planning a visit.
Do you have a cafe?
At the moment we don’t have a place that offers refreshments, but it is part of our plans for future redevelopment of the Leach Pottery site.
Do you have visitor parking?
We have seven visitor parking spaces, two of which are designated disabled parking bays. Our free overflow parking has limited spaces. It can be found at St John’s in the Fields church, only a four-minute walk from the pottery (Sat Nav-TR26 2FB). There are other large paid car parks within walking distance of the pottery. Please see more information and maps here.
Is the Leach Pottery child-friendly?
We are open to all, with special activities for children and families during major school holiday. Please see here for further information.
Are dogs allowed to visit the Leach Pottery?
We are dog friendly. Please ensure your dog is kept on short lead and tails are kept safely away from pots!
Can I access the museum in my wheelchair?
All public areas are accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs and people with limited mobility. There are ramps for entrance into the Shop and disabled parking bays in the onsite car park. Wheelchair–friendly toilets are situated in the Entrance Gallery. We also have baby change facilities.
If you have specific needs, it is advisable to contact us ahead of your visit.
Is there a guided tour of the Museum?
There are a number of paid guided tours that take place during the year. Please visit this page for further information.
The Museum
Is there a Museum admission charge?
Entrance to the Museum is £8, under 18s go for free.
We offer a yearly Locals Pass (TR26 St Ives postcodes) for free, and a yearly Kernow Pass (Cornish postcodes) for £5. You can register when you arrive. There is no charge to visit the Entrance Gallery space.
Is there a concession for students and others?
Under 18s go free.
Can I use my National Art Pass?
Unfortunately, the Leach Pottery is not part of the National Art Pass scheme.
What does visiting the Museum entail?
The Museum visit begins in the Entrance Gallery, looking at at display of historic pots, and a changing contemporary selling exhibition. As you enter the Museum, you will explore the original Pottery established by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada in 1920 – the Clay Room, Old Workshop and Kiln Room, and the Cube Gallery which shows changing historical exhibitions.
The Shop
How many potters do you stock in the Leach Pottery Shop?
We have up to 65 potters that we stock in the Shop and online.
We regularly offer a 10% discount on our Potter of the Week and special promotions. The stock online changes and is updated regularly.
How do you choose the potters for your Shop?
The potters are chosen by senior Leach Pottery staff who discuss and choose the potters based on set criteria.
What type of clay is used in the majority of the pots?
Each potter has their own style of working and the clay used is varied, however stoneware clay is most widely used for tableware.
How often do you sell seconds?
We have a seconds’ sale twice a year. Please see here for forthcoming dates.
Learning and Participation
Are there opportunities for children to play with clay during our visit to the Pottery?
The Leach Pottery Family Programme offers families fun ways to engage with making and the story of the Leach Pottery during holiday and weekends.
How often do you run courses for throwing and glazing?
We offer many courses for the absolute beginner to the more experienced potter. Please see here for upcoming opportunities and dates.
Do you run courses for professional potters?
We regularly run specialised courses for the more experienced potter. Please see up to date information and the cost of the training here.
How can I find out about children’s activities during the holidays?
Our website is regularly updated with upcoming activities so periodically checking it will keep you informed of activities and classes.
The studio
The Leach Pottery’s new Studio was built in 2008 and now boasts a highly skilled team including Roelof Uys (Lead Potter), Matt Foster (Production Manager), skilled production potters; Britta James, Henry Bird and apprentice Ellie Woods, who all make our new standard ware range.
If you are interested in any aspect of the Studio's work please contact roelof@leachpottery.com.
How many apprenticeships do you offer?
We have an opportunity for one apprentice that lasts two years. Details will be listed on this page when opportunities arise.
Can I visit the Studio and see potters at work?
Our working Studio is not open to the public, however you can look into the modern Production Studio as part of your Museum visit. If we have an artist Potter in Residence, they may work in the Old Pottery in the Museum and are happy to engage with the public.
History of the Leach Pottery
When did the Pottery reopen again?
The Leach Pottery was reopened in 2008 by the Bernard Leach (St Ives) Trust, a registered charity that restored and now manages the site whose buildings, currently leased from Cornwall Council, have been made accessible to the public and usable by a new generation of potters.
Are there any members of the Leach family still working here?
No Leach family members work here now but three of Bernard’s grandsons are still working potters: Jeremy in Bovey Tracey; Phillip in North Devon; and Simon is based in the States, where he mainly produces educational materials on studio pottery.
Who was Janet Leach?
Bernard Leach’s third wife, Janet was from Texas and a very successful potter in her own right who took over the running of the Pottery after coming here with Bernard in 1956. She continued to live in Pottery Cottage (now the Shop), and to make and sell her own work until her death in 1997.
What type of clay is used to make Leach pots?
The Leach Pottery Standard Ware clay is a stoneware containing a small amount of iron. The pots are thrown on a wheel and allowed to dry slowly. When completely dry they are bisque-fired in an electric kiln to 980°C to stabilise them. They are then glazed and fired again in a gas kiln to 1,280°C, which is the maturing temperature for the clay to reach its full strength.
Glaze recipes are calculated to mature at the same temperature as the clay. ‘Reduction firing’ produces rich visual effects and is achieved by withholding oxygen at an advanced stage of the firing, thereby causing the flame to seek out oxygen from the clay and the glaze.
What is the difference between earthenware and stoneware clay?
Earthenware clay has been used for centuries in rural British potteries. It matures at a much lower temperature than stoneware or porcelain and is often naturally very rich in iron. Because of its lower firing temperature, the finished ware is not as durable as stoneware. If it is over-fired it melts. It is often used for slipware where a clear or translucent ‘honey’ glaze, made by adding a little iron to a clear glaze, is applied over slips. Stoneware clay is a much more robust clay body, fires to a higher temperature and is thus far more suitable for the making of functional tableware.
What is slipware?
Slipware is pottery decorated with a slip – a mixture of clay and water – at the leather hard stage, either by dipping, painting, piping or splashing. Slips are produced in many different colours by the adding of chemicals such as iron or copper oxides. Slips are a mixture, e.g. china clay and ball clay, although once again there are various recipes. Slipware was made at the Leach Pottery from its beginnings until just before the Second World War.
Can you recommend suitable books that explain the history of the Leach Pottery?
The following books are a small selection and can be purchased from our Shop and online:
· A Potter’s Book by Bernard Leach
· A Potter in Japan by Bernard Leach
· Bernard Leach – Life and Work by Emmanuel Cooper
· Janet Leach: Potter by Joanna Wason
· David Leach – 20th century Ceramics by Emmanuel Cooper