Wenford Bridge Pottery

by Jonno January 21st 2012, 8:16 pm

Joined the site yesterday and have already managed to identify the maker of a little pot that we bought as a memento of our holiday in Cornwall. Was over from an order for a quantity produced to fulfill an order. Nothing special but suited our needs and has been used ever since for flower and fresh herb display.
Imagine the surprise to find through your site that it was made by Seth Cardew.
Great to see photos of him and the pottery
In addition to the mark the pot bears a thumbprint which I like to think is Seth's. Happy

by Jonno January 21st 2012, 8:19 pm

Woops! forgot to mention that our visit was about 20 years ago in the summer of 1991.

by **Potty** January 21st 2012, 8:34 pm

Hi and welcome to the forum.

The mark here shows it is from Wenford Bridge Pottery, but does not appear to have the personal seal of Seth Cardew? (the mark is for Wenford Bridge, is there a 2nd mark at all?)

This does not stop it being made by Seth, but usually a personal seal is required to confirm that it was.

Hope this helps.

by **Potty** January 21st 2012, 8:35 pm

By the way, Seth's personal seal is a large C with an S inside.

by Jonno January 21st 2012, 9:11 pm

Thanks Potty,
No there are no other marks which makes sense as Seth explained that it was part of a commercial order so just the Pottery mark and of course I realise that the thumbprint may not be his.
I reached ID my Pottery through a site that I use in relation to collecting Crown Lynn Pottery , a New Zealand Co. that closed down in the late 1980's

the site address is :-

http://newzealandpottery.forumotion.net/gallery/index.htm

by **skay** January 21st 2012, 9:33 pm

We know ev Jumping For Joy

Welcome again Jonno Wenford Bridge Pottery 124209

xx

by **Davee** January 21st 2012, 9:59 pm

I have visited Wenford Bridge on a couple of occasions (meeting Seth the second time), and there were always different potters working there, either visiting or students plus his son Ara worked there as well, so pinning it down to one potter would be difficult.

ps the mark should be the other way up, so it looks like a bridge.

pps on my first visit, a kind visiting American potter who let me in, asked me if I wanted to look at the collection and promptly disapeared back to his work while leaving me in a small attic room full of stacked up and dusty Wenford Bridge work from down the years, lots of Michael Cardew pieces! very trusting people there must have been a small fortune in the room.

ppps Seth now resides in Spain so sadly you cannot visit this fascinating place any more.

by Jonno January 22nd 2012, 3:35 am

Thanks for that info Davee yes the upstairs museum room was really a great experience and Seth was such a pleasant man . He seemed to be on his own the day we were there.
Are you aware of what has become of the site and the buildings?

by ev January 22nd 2012, 6:14 am

I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Cardew when he visited New Zealand sometime around 1980 ...?
Peter Stichbury kindly invited many potters to his home when Mr Cardew visited. He was in his late 80's and it was like meeting pottery royality!
I have photos somewhere in long forgotten albums ;)

Great stuff Jonno as I knew this site would be the right place for you to find out everything you wanted to know :D

by Jonno January 22nd 2012, 7:38 am

You were right as usual Ev although I must say I was wondering if I was going to miss out, but of course had to go down through the whole alphabet till the last entry and there it was, Wenford Bridge Pottery I recognised the buildings straight away parrticularly the museum upstairs above the pottery. Still was a little unsure till I realised that I had read the mark upside down.
Great that you met Michael he must have been a very interesting man and perhaps I was meant to meet his son because I see that Michael potted at Winscombe in Devon before Wenford Bridge and I worked on a farm at Winscombe in Sth. Canterbury for about 10 weeks between finishing Secondary School and starting an apprenticeship in the radio industry.
Small world
.

by **big ed** May 5th 2012, 1:59 pm

Wenford Bridge Pottery. Started By Michael Cardew .

by **skipposal** March 8th 2013, 8:24 pm

I have a three Wenford Bridge pieces in my collection to share with you all. The first is by the founder Michael Cardew, a simple slip painted earthenware beaker, it has a major hairline hence I could afford (just) to buy it off Paul Rice. 9.3cm (height)

Wenford Bridge Pottery Id_no_51

The second is a lovely tenmoku-glazed earthenware shallow bowl with just the Wenford Bridge mark. It really reminds me of Svend Bayer's current work, so it's no surprise to learn that he worked there with Cardew 1969-73. 4cm (height) 9.4cm (diameter)

Wenford Bridge Pottery Id_no_52

Finally are rather fine teapot by Michael's son Seth. The Cardew 'birds' are well-known, inside is a little painted fish, very comical. Damaged and well-used but I love it to bits. 17.9cm (height).

Wenford Bridge Pottery Id_no_53

by **big ed** May 5th 2013, 4:18 pm

I'm sure this was talked about before ..........I cannot remember , what does the lettering stand for under the wenford mark looks like S O ? , It's an Ara Cardew piece mark on right .