Wednesday 27 June 2018

For Catherine

As we travelled along narrow blossom filled country lanes, through quaint Cotswold villages, passed fields carpeted in the hues of blue and yellow from the Linseed and Rapeseed (Canola) crops, suddenly we spotted a sign.

It pointed to Winchcombe Pottery, a place that I wanted to visit, as sometime ago I had mentioned to my blog friend Catherine that I would. Catherine lives in the United States, and although she has never visited the pottery, she is in fact familiar with it, and wrote about it on her own blog. 
Hope that you enjoy Catherineđź’›
There was a pottery on this site from 1800 which then produced a range of farmhouse wares for the surrounding area, but after the end of WWl it fell into decline. 
In 1926 Michael Cardew, who trained under the distinquished British potter, Bernard Leach, rented the pottery buildings and set about restarting it up again.

It is one of the longest running craft potteries in the country, and makes some of the finest and most practical domestic pottery wares. The pottery still follows the 'Arts and Crafts' ideal of being both beautiful and useful.

Their terracotta pots grace many homes and gardens throughout these isles from modest cottages to grand stately homes.
It was coffee time when we arrived, and all of the potters had left their wheels and were sitting around in the garden having a drink and chatting. It is a very relaxed, friendly place for a visit - entrance is free, you can wander around the workshops and see the potters at work. 

There is a shop selling their pots along with jewellery, glassware, and paintings made by other local craftspeople, together with a cafe where you can buy homemade refreshments.




********
Update
My computer is working very well with thanks to my eldest son, and my granddaughter's boyfriend, but my blogger problems continue when creating new posts. There was nothing basically wrong with the computer, it was all down to my blog. However, I have discovered that I can only write new posts as long as I sign out of blogger and then sign back in again. It is a nuisance, but it is the only way that I have found which enables me to continue with the blog. 
I returned home late last night after a long journey - my head is full of the many exciting things seen, but, I am unable to process them, as my mind has not yet caught up with my body. 
The national flower of the country visited.

42 comments:

  1. Interesting post. It looks busy anyway but with plastic falling out of favour traditional skills and materials could see an upsurge in certain areas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We visited the pottery at the end of May, but what with the blog problems and my travels I have only just had time to write it.

      Delete
    2. Hi Rosemary,
      A fellow blogger gave me a simple easy fix to get your online friends comments back on email notifications.
      Go into your blog design page and look on left hand side bar for settings. once in that click on emails. Write down your exact email address that's in the comment notification box already on a bit of paper then delete it, leaving that one box completely blank. click save. Then shut down blog.
      A few hours later go into settings then open email box again and retype in that same email address you deleted. then press save and close blog.
      After between a few hours and a day you should get a blogger email( from Blogger) with an invitation to receive comment notification. Click Subscribe.
      That should get comments back into your email again... like they were before.
      It worked with me and it is simple just longer to explain than to do. Hope this helps.

      Delete
  2. Beautiful post; thank you, Rosemary.
    Take your time to 'recover' and 'land at home' after your journey to Bangladesh ( I suppose ).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jeanneke - not Bangladesh, but will let you know soon.

      Delete
  3. Glad you are up and running again :) The pottery looks like a fascinating place. Looking forward to your holiday posts. B x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still feel very tired, but a few good nights sleep will hopefully do the trick.

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Just one or two of these pots filled with interesting plants can make a lovely impact in the garden.

      Delete
  5. Hello Rosemary, Winchcombe Pottery looks like a heavenly place--certainly not just like a shop. How few places in America are like that!
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jim - the pottery is in a lovely location, and you are free to wander around the premises and the gardens even if you decide not to make a purchase.

      Delete
  6. Welcome back Rosemary. Have missed your always beautiful posts. Seeing the beautiful pots of Winchcombe Pottery made me wonder how I can get a truckload shipped to this side of the pond.
    I always sign out of Blogger until I write a new blog. I've been told that that is how you keep your blog safe. It's a little extra trouble but I think, a good idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is interesting to know Gina - thank you for letting me know.
      The Winchcombe pots are lovely and can stand happily outside during very cold times during winter months without flaking or cracking up unlike cheaper versions.

      Delete
  7. Have visited Winchcombe numerous times and remember the pottery. Enjoyed your photos. That's weird about Blogger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am pleased to know that you have been there - it is quite a difficult place to find along the narrow country lanes. You must both be very good at navigating your way around our narrow lanes.

      Delete
  8. So happy to see you back Rosemary. I'm glad to hear you have gotten most of your computer issues resolved. Blogger is so quirky. I know several people battling all sorts of different issues with it.

    The photos you took of the pottery and countryside are gorgeous!  I loved seeing the variety of pots they make there. The different embellishments they add to pots is amazing. I understand they are frost proof so they won't crack in the winter. I hope you treated yourself to something special. 

    What a fun to come home from a holiday and wake up to your post. I am thrilled and honored, thank you so very much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Catherine, and I am so pleased that you enjoyed seeing this post.
      I am interested that you too have been away - I am now wondering where you have been?
      I shall be returning to the pottery, as I discovered whilst there, that they will make a personalised pot for a special birthday or anniversary.

      Delete
    2. My best friend (Marianne) bought property in Virginia many years ago. She wanted peaceful weekend place. She bought two dismantled old log cabins and two stone fireplaces from http://vintagelog.com/index.htm Some of those square logs are two feet X two feet thick. She designed a cabin out of all those logs. She had them sand blasted once the building was erected before the chinking started. The stones for the chimney's are also square and many are enormous. 
      She decided to leave her job and move to the cabin. She and her husband built a new life and business. You can read about it here. https://www.cricketscove.net/ Biodynamic farming is a big step above organic. Her is her store https://www.facebook.com/Twigs-Berries-193195140706301/ 
      I am guessing you might be interested in all this because of your interest in gardening and plants.

      Her husband is a blacksmith and a very old friend of mine too. I have known them for over 40 years we all went to art school together. https://www.cricketscove.net/forge-gallery-intro/  Have a look at his amazing metal work  in the gallery.

      It was wonderful to spend time with old friends. ;-)

      Delete
    3. No idea why those big spaces between words insist on being there!

      Delete
    4. I shall look forward to reading all about this tomorrow Catherine - I am so pleased that you had such a lovely time with your old friends.

      Delete
  9. Replies
    1. Thank you William, and by the way, I met a lady from Ottawa, and one from Nova Scotia whilst I was away.

      Delete
  10. The pottery looks like a charming place to visit. I'm glad you're now on top of the Blogger problems and am very much looking forward to where this fascinating flower comes from. It looks sort of cactus-y to me but I am probably wrong!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right Jenny it does resemble a cactus flower, but it is in fact a water lily. It represents the country well as all the flowers that grow there are very colourful and vibrant.

      Delete
  11. Such a lovely post, I enjoyed seeing your photographs.
    Blogger seems to be causing quite a few problems at the moment …

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jan - I have spent quite a sum of money on the computer only to find that it is blogger all along. However, I am happy to have the ccomputer updated, it really needed it. My granddaughter's boyfriend said that I should continually update it, but I am always worried about doing so.

      Delete
  12. The pots are beautiful, and would add interest and style to almost any garden. We stayed in Woodmancote during our time in the Cotswolds almost 2 years ago now, and drove through Winchcombe to see Hailes Abbey and Sudeley Castle. I would love to return and spend more time in the region. It enchanted me.
    I hope you soon recover from your trip. Glad your computer woes are mostly solved. The blogger issue is a strange one.
    Have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Winchcombe is a lovely little town full of interesting architecture as I am sure you found. The pottery is rather off the beaten track, hidden down narrow country lanes. However, we approached it from the opposite side to Winchcombe which probably made it more difficult to locate.
      It has taken me all day long just to do the washing as I am not thinking straight!! but we have a heatwave here currently so it dried super quick.
      Yes, I have found it impossible to make out just what has gone wrong with my blog, and why it should suddenly change.

      Delete
  13. What a delightful place. Your posts always make me think it is time to have a trip to the U.K. then I think of getting around as I gather the traffic is horrendous now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. City traffic perhaps you would find is much more difficult than when you left, but the country areas are fine as long just as long as you don't hit 'home time' after work.

      Delete
  14. Welcome back Rosemary.
    Blogger can be a right pain at times.
    The pottery is gorgeous, it has a very smooth finish..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Margaret - yes, you are right. I think up until now things with Blogger have been fine for me, and it appears that there was nothing wrong with my computer after all.

      Delete
  15. Welcome back Rosemary. I look forward to hearing about your latest trip when you get settled back and have processed in your mind what you did and saw there. It's good that your computer problems have been mainly overcome. Mine will probably be resolved with a new laptop although at the moment I'm managing with the present one. Beautiful photos of the pot displays in the grounds of the pottery.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Linda - I wonder if you would find things better if you tried doing the same as me. Just sign out of blogger and then sign straight back in again and then go into create a new post or continue with one that you are already writing - you may find that this helps you too.

      Delete
  16. I would enjoy looking around that pottery works. I'm no expert on National Flowers but I have a feeling you're going to take us to somewhere exotic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those national flowers are a wonderful colour, and would you believe they are actually water lilies. When they are flowering on the lakes and waterways they look fantastic.

      Delete
  17. Welcome back Rosemary.
    The pottery looks wonderful and a place I would love to go and visit - so many wonderful pots.
    Glad that you have your computer operating.
    Enjoy the weekend
    Hugs
    Carolyn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Carolyn - blogger is still giving me a problem but at least I can just about manage to do a post with a certain amount of trial and error.

      Delete
  18. I also have problems - and no whizz kids to help me sort it out. Gorgeous photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am sorry to learn this - I would send my whizz kids to you if I could. I am not at all happy with Blogger at the moment - I thought it was my computer but it was Blogger all along. However, I do not regret updating the computer, it needed it.

      Delete
  19. It is lovely seeing your post and beautiful photos again. I particularly like the Winchcombe pots with the wreath motif. It has been too many years since I have been in England but on one trip we were fortunate enough to visit the studio of Richard Batterham in Durweston, Dorset. I love his pieces and have three of his teapots.
    The national flowers are stunning. I would guess that you were in India or southeast Asia.
    I look forward to your future posts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind comment - I think that you are pretty close with your guess.

      Delete

❖PLEASE NOTE❖ Comments made by those who hide their identity will be deleted


“You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you - you have to go to them sometimes”

― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh