Farnham Pottery
Encyclopedia
Farnham Pottery is located in Wrecclesham
near Farnham
, Surrey
. This is one of the best preserved examples of a working Victorian country pottery left in England and is Grade II Listed. Its significance in the local area is shown by it featuring on the emblem of Wrecclesham Cricket Club.
area since Roman
times and in the 16th century supplied London with a substantial part of its pottery requirements. In the Middle Ages, Farnham clay was shipped by river to Kingston upon Thames
and surrounding villages, where it was potted; collectively this is known as "Surrey whiteware". At its height, the pottery operated its own clay
pits, had four working kilns and employed up to thirty men. A lightweight tramway connected the pits to the pottery, with tubs
being pushed along the temporary tracks.
In 1872 it was owned by Absalom Harris. The early work was utility wares including drainpipes
and tiles. Around 1880, he was asked to copy a French vase. After many trials, Harris managed to produce a reasonable example using a lead
glaze
made green by the addition of copper oxide
.
Henceforth the production of art pottery featured more prominently in the company's agenda, and Farnham Greenware, as it was known, established itself. A strong connection with Farnham School of Art was formed.
W. H. Allen
designed for Farnham Pottery from the turn of the century until 1943. The pots were sold at Heals and Liberty. The company was widely known for its 'owl jugs' which were produced up to the 1950s.
The pottery is now no longer owned by the Harris family. Farnham Buildings Preservation Trust (FBPT) bought the site in 1998 and they have their own group of potters (West Street Potters) producing pottery there. The pottery still contains many examples of the original moulds and a number of local houses were built using architectural fittings made on this site.
Having stabilised the buildings and made them weatherproof, the Trust has asked for suggestions as to the future use of the Pottery. The Trust's main aim is to ensure a safe and appropriate use for the Pottery and to this end will require a business plan from any interested party in order to ensure that the buildings can be properly maintained.
Wrecclesham
Wrecclesham is a village on the outskirts of Farnham in Waverley a borough of the county of Surrey, England.Farnham Pottery is located here, as is the Wrecclesham recreation ground which caters for the local cricket, football, rugby and tennis clubs and it is where Jonny Wilkinson and Graham Thorpe...
near Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. This is one of the best preserved examples of a working Victorian country pottery left in England and is Grade II Listed. Its significance in the local area is shown by it featuring on the emblem of Wrecclesham Cricket Club.
History
A major pottery industry has existed in the FarnhamFarnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
area since Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times and in the 16th century supplied London with a substantial part of its pottery requirements. In the Middle Ages, Farnham clay was shipped by river to Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
and surrounding villages, where it was potted; collectively this is known as "Surrey whiteware". At its height, the pottery operated its own clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
pits, had four working kilns and employed up to thirty men. A lightweight tramway connected the pits to the pottery, with tubs
Quarry tub
Tub is the commonly used name for a type of railway or tramway wagon used in quarries and other industrial locations for the transport of minerals from a quarry or mine face to processing plants or between various parts of an industrial site...
being pushed along the temporary tracks.
In 1872 it was owned by Absalom Harris. The early work was utility wares including drainpipes
Plumbing fixture
A plumbing fixture is an exchangeable device which can be connected to an existing plumbing system to deliver and drain away water but which is also configured to enable a particular use.-Common fixtures:The most common plumbing fixtures are:*Bathtubs...
and tiles. Around 1880, he was asked to copy a French vase. After many trials, Harris managed to produce a reasonable example using a lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
glaze
Ceramic glaze
Glaze is a layer or coating of a vitreous substance which has been fired to fuse to a ceramic object to color, decorate, strengthen or waterproof it.-Use:...
made green by the addition of copper oxide
Copper oxide
Copper oxide is a compound from the two elements copper and oxygen.Copper oxide may refer to:*Copper oxide , a red powder;*Copper oxide , a black powder...
.
Henceforth the production of art pottery featured more prominently in the company's agenda, and Farnham Greenware, as it was known, established itself. A strong connection with Farnham School of Art was formed.
W. H. Allen
W. H. Allen
William Herbert Allen was a notable English landscape watercolour artist whose career spanned more than 50 years from the 1880s to the 1940s. He was invariably referred to as "WH" rather than by his given name. Born 14 September 1863 in West Brompton, London, of parents from Alton, Hampshire,...
designed for Farnham Pottery from the turn of the century until 1943. The pots were sold at Heals and Liberty. The company was widely known for its 'owl jugs' which were produced up to the 1950s.
The pottery is now no longer owned by the Harris family. Farnham Buildings Preservation Trust (FBPT) bought the site in 1998 and they have their own group of potters (West Street Potters) producing pottery there. The pottery still contains many examples of the original moulds and a number of local houses were built using architectural fittings made on this site.
The future