Potfest in the Park Ceramics Festival at Hutton-in-the-Forest

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Hutton-in-the-Forest on the edge on the Lake District National Park, I finally got to experience the exciting creative event of ‘Potfest in the Park’  back in 2020. This fabulous annual ceramics festival has been going since 2001 and it had been on my radar ever since doing ceramics as part of my Contemporary Crafts degree many moons ago.

Unfortunately the dates had never worked out before; however the stars finally aligned for me when I found myself in the nearby Lake District the same weekend as Potfest in the Park 2020, so I knew it was meant to be. 2020 became the year Potfest happened for me!

2023 Dates for Potfest in the Park: 28 – 30th July

What is Potfest in the Park?

As the title suggests, Potfest is a festival for potters, or as we tend to say – ceramic artists or ceramicists. However, it’s not just pots that’ll be on display and sale, but pretty much anything made from clay. So really it’s your one stop shop and gallery for all sorts of unique and unusual ceramic products.

Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of teacups; mugs, bowls and teapots, but you’ll also find garden art, plant pots and birdbaths as well as wall art, ornaments and free standing sculptures. Whether you’re a ceramics enthusiast or art lover; or if you’re just looking for something unusual to decorate your home, or something a little bit different to drink out of, you’ll find it at Potfest! With over 100 exhibitors covering a huge variety of techniques, you’ll certainly be wowed at the beauty and versatility present in ceramic art.

The ‘in-the-Park’ element of the event title refers to the location of the festival. Taking place in the extensive parkland of Hutton-in-the-Forest – a striking Cumbrian country house, you couldn’t get a more descriptive and suitable title for this event – Potfest in the Park.

Exhibitor stalls are set up in open marquees on the parkland directly in front of the house (which actually resembles a castle) where it’s impossible not to see the joyful juxtaposition of modern ceramic art with medieval architecture.

History of Potfest in the Park

Potfest in the Park is the flagship UK ceramics festival. However it’s not the original. Potfest actually started as an event in Penrith held under cover at a cattle market and so became known as ‘Potfest in the Pens’. Starting in 1994, this was the first potters’ market of any notable size in the UK. It’s still going strong today and in 2023, there are now 2 events held in spring (2 – 4th June 2023) and autumn (20th- 22nd October). A similar cattle market venue was used to house ‘Potfest Scotland’ in Perth from 1997.

When the location of Hutton-in-the-Forest was chosen for Potfest in the Park in 2001, the size and open landscape aspect of the venue allowed much bigger works to be displayed than was possible in the cattle market environment. As a result, this attracted a huge variety of ceramic artists from all over the world.

When the agricultural market in Perth closed down in 2010, Potfest Scotland moved to nearby Scone Palace where it could grow and thrive in a similar setting to Hutton-in-the-Forest: ceramics being displayed against the stunning palace architecture.

Potfest During the Pandemic

During the early pandemic years 2020/21, all Potfest events looked a little different, but luckily were able to continue operating. As an open air event, Potfest in the Park leant itself to being Covid-19 secure, as did Potfest Scotland. All the stalls could be set up in open sided marquees with plenty of space around them and there is no reason for this not to continue as there is plenty of space at Hutton-in-the-Forest.

With the lack of oversees travel due to travel bans and quarantine periods, the usual mix of worldwide ceramicists wasn’t possible at Potfest in the Park the year I visited. This opened up opportunities to British ceramic artists who wouldn’t normally have had the chance to exhibit, which personally I think is great as I’m all for championing local talent! I really hope this continues.

Beautiful Ceramic Art at Potfest in the Park

I’ve already shown you lots of the art, but here’s a roundup of my favourite pieces from Potfest in the Park 2020.

Animal Art

Lloyd Coombes Ceramics

These animals are gorgeous – Lloyd really captures the poise and expressions wonderfully, particularly on the dogs. I would love him to sculpt my pooch Roger who I lost earlier in 2020 to cancer.

Debbie Barber

How adorable are these birds? I’m not sure I could limit myself here to just a single purchase, I would have to have a whole flock!

Simon Griffiths

I don’t know how he does it, but Simon’s creations blend seamlessly into their environment – the sculpting looks like they’ve been carved from wood – it’s uncanny. The owls certainly camouflage against their perches. I didn’t even notice the owl in the tree to start with and according to Mr TJG, I walked past him twice before I saw him. Should I end up moving to a house with a suitable tree in the garden, I would love one of Simon’s owls!

Jeremy James

In contrast Jeremy’s work almost resembles metal. His otter is tremendous!

Traditional & Contemporary Pots & Vases

Fiona Duckett – Watergaw Ceramics

Fiona’s lustre ceramics are outstanding – so rich and opulent. They are a feast for the eyes.

The Cloud Pottery

I love these contemporary ceramics – such simple clean lines with light and fresh colours.

Jennie Gilbert

I find Jennie’s work to be really striking. While I loved her Mishima range, (the dark pieces in the image) it was the checked blue and white ‘Domestic’ range that stole my heart and I just had to purchase a teapot and a couple of mugs. I am a huge tea drinker, so am always looking for teapots that pour well… and after testing (much to Jennnie’s amusement) the great pourer on display had to be bought!

John Calver

Definitely some of my favourite work at Potfest in the Park 2020, John Calver’s bowls, jugs, plates and vases are so beguiling. The rich, intense colours and patterns he manages to create are eye-popping and the handle shapes on his oven dishes and jugs are so unusual.

Daniel Boyle Ceramics

The patterns that Daniel achieves in the glaze he applies to his individual wheel thrown pots remind me of a cross between looking through a window with rain trickling down the glass and watching coral move ‘under the sea’ – so fluid and relaxing.

Tony Laverick

Tony’s colourful and abstract bowls are beautiful and his stall had a constant buzz around it. I think everyone was just so intrigued with how he decorates his pots and how he gets such precise lines across a curved shape. I know I was. Just stunning work!

Decorative Pieces

Nigel Edmondson

Once I finally move house and end up with a much bigger garden, Nigel will be my first port of call for a birdbath. I fell in love with his designs. His decorative outdoor pebble shaped planters are also rather unusual and I think Mr TJG is just thankful that at the moment we don’t have call for them, as our bank balance would have been considerably lighter on leaving.

Ellul Ceramics

Wow – what a talking point this piece would be in your lounge. So intricate and unique!

Ruth Gibson

Ruth’s style of screen printing onto ceramic is beautiful. I particularly love her sectioned wall art pieces showing landscapes. I could easily see myself commissioning her to do one these pieces based on my favourite Lake District mountain outlines. Her jewellery items proved popular on the day I was there and it took about 10 minutes of patiently waiting before I could get anywhere near the stall.

Mark Smith

Words escaped me as I approached Mark’s display. I think the only word I uttered was a very slow ‘Wooaaaah!’ I think his pieces will be the most memorable of the event for me. What an imagination that conjured up this piece in particular!

Wendy Lawrence

What do you think? Do you see coral reef and Little Mermaid in these pieces? Gorgeous and most unusual!

Di Luca Ceramics

I had to keep going back to Di Luca’s Ceramics stall as I was so drawn to his sculptures of towering round pebble shapes. His work reminds me so much Andy Goldsworthy’s stone land art and of building pebble towers on the beach. These were probably my favourite pieces in the whole event. And one I would love to own too! Maybe one day…..

Potfest in the Park Competition

Each year Potfest holds a competition where each ceramicist enters a piece to be judged and visitors can vote for their top three favourite ceramics. These pieces are laid out on the lawn directly in front of the castle with plenty of room to freely walk amongst and choose your favourites.

2020’s theme was “Recycle Rebuild Repurpose”. The aim of applying a theme to the competition is to get the exhibitors to ‘think outside the box’ and potentially explore new methods, ideas and techniques beyond their usual style, thus allowing their creativity to thrive and evolve. My favourite pieces were those by John Scott (One of Those Days), Mark Smith & Simon Griffiths (The Owl & the Pussycat) and Jeremy James (Musaic Birdbath)

With many of the competition pieces I couldn’t necessarily see what the ceramicist was thinking with the piece they entered; however with “Musaic Birdbath” I loved reading the story behind the piece which had been written on a piece of paper next to it. The birdbath is constructed from shattered bits of ceramic that had been retained from broken pieces of work that artists couldn’t bear to discard. They weren’t just Jeremy’s own broken ceramics either but shards donated from other artists in the exhibition. The concept of giving life and purpose back to relegated bits of clay really resonated with me and the result was beautiful.

Exploring Hutton-in-the-Forest

With entry to Potfest in the Park, you also gain entry to the grounds of Hutton-in-the-Forest and you can wander around the garden terraces and woodlands to your heart’s content. Unfortunately when I visited in 2020, the house itself was closed due to Covid-19, but I’m assuming that it’s all back to normal today.

Other Potfest Festivals in 2023

Here’s a round up of all the Potfest events in 2023:

Potfest in the Park

Dates: 28th – 30th July 2023 at Hutton-in-the-Forest

Tickets are £8.00 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free. Opening hours are from 10am – 4.30pm.

Parking is free and refreshments are available. Dogs on leads are more than welcome. Tickets includes access to the grounds and gardens.

Potfest Scotland

Potfest Scotland takes place at Scone Palace near Perth from 9th – 11th June 2023.

Tickets are £8.00 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free. Opening hours are from 10am – 4.30pm.

Like with Potfest in the Park, this includes access to the gardens at Scone Palace too. Parking is free and refreshments are available. Dogs on leads are more than welcome.

Potfest in the Pens

Potfest in the Pens takes place twice in 2023 at Skirsgill Auction Mart in Penrith.

Spring Event: 2nd – 4th June 2023

Tickets are £5.00 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free.

Autumn Event: 20th – 22nd October 2023

Tickets are £4.00 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free.

The exhibitors at each of these events will be different. Opening hours are from 10am – 4.30pm. Parking is free and refreshments are available. Dogs on leads are more than welcome.

Potfest in the Pens (Melton Mowbray)

This was a new event in 2022, and thanks to its success, it is retuning in 2023. This Potfest in the Pens takes place at Melton Mowbray Market and Livestock Auction on the 3rd – 5th November 2023.

Tickets are £4.00 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free. Opening hours are from 3pm – 7pm on Friday and 9am – 4pm on Sat/Sun.

Parking is free and refreshments are available. Dogs on leads are more than welcome.

Potfest South East

New in 2022, Potfest South East returns to Glynde Place on the 21st – 23rd April 2023.

Tickets are £8.50 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free. Opening hours are from 9.30am – 4.30pm. Parking is free and refreshments are available. Dogs on leads are more than welcome.

Potfest by the Lake

2023 will be the third year Potfest returns to this beautiful venue at Compton Verney on the 23rd – 25th June.

Tickets are £7.00 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free. Opening hours are from 10.00am – 4.30pm. Parking is free and refreshments are available. Dogs on leads are more than welcome. Top up tickets to see the galleries and exhibitions at Compton Verney will be available at the venue.

Potfest Suffolk

A new Potfest event for the east of the UK. Potfest will open at Haughley Park near Stowmarket on the 11th – 13th August 2023.

Tickets are £8.00 for adults and accompanied under 16’s go free. Opening hours are from 10.00am – 4.30pm. Parking is free and refreshments are available. Dogs on leads are more than welcome.

NOTE: Many of the exhibitors are unable to process credit cards at these venues due to ‘iffy’ mobile phone signals, so make sure you bring plenty of cash otherwise your retail therapy may be limited.

Get in Touch!

So, have you experienced Potfest before? Which ceramicists had you reaching for your purse/wallet?

Or how about this for a question – if money were no object, which piece from my Potfest in the Park would you love to buy? Please drop me a line in the comments below and let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

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