The Shire Workshops
The Shire Workshops
Opening hours
- Sunday
- Closed
- Monday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Tuesday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Wednesday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Thursday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Friday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Saturday
- 10:00 - 21:15
The Shire Workshops (Pottery & Sculpture), Unit A Farm Buisness Units Rushton Road
Dallacre LE16 8FE
Dallacre LE16 8FE
Our Booking PolicyPlease read our Terms and Conditions before booking.
https://theshireworkshops.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
https://theshireworkshops.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
Please read our Terms and Conditions before booking.
https://theshireworkshops.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/
Private Booking
Ideal for those who are comfortable using pottery wheels independently. We don’t provide hands-on tuition but are happy to offer guidance if needed.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will try our best to accommodate it, but the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will try our best to accommodate it, but the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
Ideal for those who are comfortable using bench space independently.
You may use the bench space for hand-built pottery and/or sculpture. We don’t provide hands-on tuition but are happy to offer guidance if needed.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will try our best to accommodate it, but the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
You may use the bench space for hand-built pottery and/or sculpture. We don’t provide hands-on tuition but are happy to offer guidance if needed.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will try our best to accommodate it, but the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
We offer private lessons in pottery wheel throwing, as well as hand-building projects and sculpture-making. The maximum capacity is five people at a time. Private lessons are available in one-hour time blocks, and the price is per person.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
We offer private lessons in pottery wheel throwing, as well as hand-building projects and sculpture-making. The maximum capacity is five people at a time. Private lessons are available in one-hour time blocks, and the price is £20 per person.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
* We offer private lessons in pottery wheel throwing, as well as hand-building projects and sculpture-making. The maximum capacity is five people at a time. Private lessons are available in one-hour time blocks, and the price is £15 per person.
Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
We offer private lessons in pottery wheel throwing, as well as hand-building projects and sculpture-making. The maximum capacity is five people at a time. Private lessons are available in one-hour time blocks, and the price is £15 per person.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
We offer private lessons in pottery wheel throwing, as well as hand-building projects and sculpture-making. The maximum capacity is five people at a time. Private lessons are available in one-hour time blocks, and the price is £15 per person.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
* Please note that your selected online booking date will be considered a request. We will do our best to accommodate it; however, the class may be rescheduled to a mutually agreed date if necessary.
Workshop
This 2-hour × 8-week course is beginner-friendly and suited to all ages, while also catering to more experienced potters. Some participants come for the social connection, while others fully immerse themselves in the creative process. Join us in whatever way suits you best!
Choose your preferred start day and time, and your workshop will run at the same time each week for eight weeks. Each slot is taught by a different teacher — learn more about them here! For those who wish to continue, subsequent courses cost £160, plus firing/material fees for any pieces you choose to keep, calculated by size.
During this course, you can learn:
- How to throw pots on the pottery wheel
- How to hand-build pots using clay slabs and coils
- Decorating techniques and glazing
The course structure is very flexible. We usually take new people through the basic techniques, but if you want to spend all 8 weeks playing on the wheel, or hand-building at the bench, you're more than welcome to! We're here to support you in whatever you'd like to do.
▶Course Fees
£200/8weeks for your first course and £160/8weeks for subsequent courses, plus following costs.
- Materials and firing costs for any pieces you choose to have fired, calculated by size. An average spend for finished items for your first course might be typically £50. Feel free to practice your skills — you don’t have to fire everything you make!
*If you don’t see any available future dates, it means booking for that course isn’t open yet.
Choose your preferred start day and time, and your workshop will run at the same time each week for eight weeks. Each slot is taught by a different teacher — learn more about them here! For those who wish to continue, subsequent courses cost £160, plus firing/material fees for any pieces you choose to keep, calculated by size.
During this course, you can learn:
- How to throw pots on the pottery wheel
- How to hand-build pots using clay slabs and coils
- Decorating techniques and glazing
The course structure is very flexible. We usually take new people through the basic techniques, but if you want to spend all 8 weeks playing on the wheel, or hand-building at the bench, you're more than welcome to! We're here to support you in whatever you'd like to do.
▶Course Fees
£200/8weeks for your first course and £160/8weeks for subsequent courses, plus following costs.
- Materials and firing costs for any pieces you choose to have fired, calculated by size. An average spend for finished items for your first course might be typically £50. Feel free to practice your skills — you don’t have to fire everything you make!
*If you don’t see any available future dates, it means booking for that course isn’t open yet.
This 2-hour × 8-week course is beginner-friendly and suited to all ages, while also catering to more experienced potters. Some participants come for the social connection, while others fully immerse themselves in the creative process. Join us in whatever way suits you best!
Choose your preferred start day and time, and your workshop will run at the same time each week for eight weeks. Each slot is taught by a different teacher — learn more about them here! For those who wish to continue, subsequent courses cost £160, plus firing/material fees for any pieces you choose to keep, calculated by size.
During this course, you can learn:
- How to throw pots on the pottery wheel
- How to hand-build pots using clay slabs and coils
- Decorating techniques and glazing
The course structure is very flexible. We usually take new people through the basic techniques, but if you want to spend all 8 weeks playing on the wheel, or hand-building at the bench, you're more than welcome to! We're here to support you in whatever you'd like to do.
▶Course Fees
£200/8weeks for your first course and £160/8weeks for subsequent courses, plus following costs.
- Materials and firing costs for any pieces you choose to have fired, calculated by size. An average spend for finished items for your first course might be typically £50. Feel free to practice your skills — you don’t have to fire everything you make!
*If you don’t see any available future dates, it means booking for that course isn’t open yet.
Choose your preferred start day and time, and your workshop will run at the same time each week for eight weeks. Each slot is taught by a different teacher — learn more about them here! For those who wish to continue, subsequent courses cost £160, plus firing/material fees for any pieces you choose to keep, calculated by size.
During this course, you can learn:
- How to throw pots on the pottery wheel
- How to hand-build pots using clay slabs and coils
- Decorating techniques and glazing
The course structure is very flexible. We usually take new people through the basic techniques, but if you want to spend all 8 weeks playing on the wheel, or hand-building at the bench, you're more than welcome to! We're here to support you in whatever you'd like to do.
▶Course Fees
£200/8weeks for your first course and £160/8weeks for subsequent courses, plus following costs.
- Materials and firing costs for any pieces you choose to have fired, calculated by size. An average spend for finished items for your first course might be typically £50. Feel free to practice your skills — you don’t have to fire everything you make!
*If you don’t see any available future dates, it means booking for that course isn’t open yet.
Join this 1-day workshop (10am–4pm) on selected Sundays and experience the magic of Raku glaze firing. Originating in 16th-century Japan, Raku combines earth, fire, air and water for fast, dramatic results. Pots are glazed with special oxides, removed red-hot from the kiln, and cooled rapidly, creating beautiful, unpredictable colours and effects.
During this class you will:
* Decorate three pots using different Raku techniques – Glazed, Saggar and Naked Raku (bring your own pre-made pots or purchase blanks)
* Learn the full Raku firing process
* Complete three firings, including reduction with combustible materials, rapid cooling, and cleaning
◇ Glazed Raku
Select from a range of Raku glazes. Red-hot pots are placed in sawdust and sealed, then optionally cooled in water to enhance crackle effects and metallic finishes.
◇ Saggar Firing
A no-glaze method using natural materials and chemicals. Pots are wrapped in foil (“saggar”) and fired to produce rich, unpredictable colours and patterns. Burnished or unburnished pots both work well.
◇ Naked Raku
Pots are removed from the kiln at around 700°C and materials such as horsehair, feathers or sugar are burned onto the surface, creating fine black silhouette patterns on white clay.
During this class you will:
* Decorate three pots using different Raku techniques – Glazed, Saggar and Naked Raku (bring your own pre-made pots or purchase blanks)
* Learn the full Raku firing process
* Complete three firings, including reduction with combustible materials, rapid cooling, and cleaning
◇ Glazed Raku
Select from a range of Raku glazes. Red-hot pots are placed in sawdust and sealed, then optionally cooled in water to enhance crackle effects and metallic finishes.
◇ Saggar Firing
A no-glaze method using natural materials and chemicals. Pots are wrapped in foil (“saggar”) and fired to produce rich, unpredictable colours and patterns. Burnished or unburnished pots both work well.
◇ Naked Raku
Pots are removed from the kiln at around 700°C and materials such as horsehair, feathers or sugar are burned onto the surface, creating fine black silhouette patterns on white clay.
Join this 1-day workshop (10am–4pm) on selected Sundays and experience the magic of Raku glaze firing. Originating in 16th-century Japan, Raku combines earth, fire, air and water for fast, dramatic results. Pots are glazed with special oxides, removed red-hot from the kiln, and cooled rapidly, creating beautiful, unpredictable colours and effects.
During this class you will:
* Decorate three pots using different Raku techniques – Glazed, Saggar and Naked Raku (bring your own pre-made pots or purchase blanks)
* Learn the full Raku firing process
* Complete three firings, including reduction with combustible materials, rapid cooling, and cleaning
◇ Glazed Raku
Select from a range of Raku glazes. Red-hot pots are placed in sawdust and sealed, then optionally cooled in water to enhance crackle effects and metallic finishes.
◇ Saggar Firing
A no-glaze method using natural materials and chemicals. Pots are wrapped in foil (“saggar”) and fired to produce rich, unpredictable colours and patterns. Burnished or unburnished pots both work well.
◇ Naked Raku
Pots are removed from the kiln at around 700°C and materials such as horsehair, feathers or sugar are burned onto the surface, creating fine black silhouette patterns on white clay.
During this class you will:
* Decorate three pots using different Raku techniques – Glazed, Saggar and Naked Raku (bring your own pre-made pots or purchase blanks)
* Learn the full Raku firing process
* Complete three firings, including reduction with combustible materials, rapid cooling, and cleaning
◇ Glazed Raku
Select from a range of Raku glazes. Red-hot pots are placed in sawdust and sealed, then optionally cooled in water to enhance crackle effects and metallic finishes.
◇ Saggar Firing
A no-glaze method using natural materials and chemicals. Pots are wrapped in foil (“saggar”) and fired to produce rich, unpredictable colours and patterns. Burnished or unburnished pots both work well.
◇ Naked Raku
Pots are removed from the kiln at around 700°C and materials such as horsehair, feathers or sugar are burned onto the surface, creating fine black silhouette patterns on white clay.
About
Pottery and sculpture workshop located on the border of Northamptonshire/Leicestershire. An oasis of creativity. No experience required!
https://linktr.ee/theshireworkshops
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Reviews
, Highest rated
- Angela Parker··from Google
2 of the most delightful men ever, are in charge of this studio, and they are both super talented, very patient and they look after a wonderful feral cat who visits daily. It's SUCH a fabulous place to do a course. Don't think twice.
- Miriam··from Google
Pottery classes at The Shire Workshops are not only teaching me new skills, they are also highly therapeutic, a part of my healing process. I've been coming for a few months now, and hoping to continue when life gets a little less hectic.
Bob and Joe are excellent teachers of pottery (and life!) and I couldn't recommend them enough.
Thank You for all you do! 😎🙏💚 - sally miller··from Google
An amazing place . Wonderful teachers . Encouraging , supportive and friendly . Peaceful and a home from home .
- Alison McDaid··from Google
Lovely welcoming workshop full of inspirational tutors and students. Highly recommend 👌
- Andy Spencer··from Google
My wife and I have a couple of fantastic sessions with Joe and Bob. The sessions are relaxed and as are the sessions, we were very well looked after. Thanks guys.
- marie F··from Google
Excellent, relaxed space to make, with as much or as little help as you want.
Opening hours
- Sunday
- Closed
- Monday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Tuesday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Wednesday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Thursday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Friday
- 10:00 - 21:15
- Saturday
- 10:00 - 21:15