Smoke fired pottery decorating workshop with Bensham Grove

The North East has a rich history of pottery production dating back to the 1700s. This workshop takes you further back in time to try your hand at an ancient technique.

You'll spend 30 minutes decorating two small pre-made pots, previously fired with terra sigillata* applied. Next, you'll be able to head outside to watch the pots being smoke fired from a safe distance. About 30 minutes later, your pots are ready to finish with beeswax.

The decorating will be done with a special type of clay slip which can be both painted on and scraped through. The clay slip acts as a resist to the smoke, so where you paint the slip it will stay the same clay colour, and where you don’t paint the slip or where you scratch through it the smoke will penetrate the pots surface, creating a permanent decorative colour variation. Once the pot has been smoke fired, cleaning off the slip and residual soot from the smoke firing reveals your pattern; a final polish with beeswax brings out the beautiful finish.

A ticket must be purchased for each adult and child participating.

*Terra sigillata is a surface finish created using fine-particle refined slip, applied before bisque firing to create a smooth surface with a subtle sheen. Refined slip techniques resembling terra sigillata date back roughly 5,000 to 6,000 years in ancient Egypt, Minoan Crete, and Greece. Terra sigillata pottery was traded across the Roman Empire, and examples have been excavated from Roman sites along Hadrian's Wall.