POTTERY

The Barney Craig Mineshop is an amazing building with a fascinating history. It was built in the 1820's and would have housed miners between shifts in the nearby lead mine, giving them a place to eat and sleep. It also contained forges and other workshops and there are records of two blacksmiths working here in 1851.

In 2017 it was at risk of collapsing beyond repair, but the building was gifted by Allendale Estate to Allen Valleys Enterprise and with funding from Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the building was renovated during 2017-18. The top floor rooms were opened as a no-frills camping barn and the Carrshield Village Hall group was established. They had plans to convert part of the ground floor into a village hall and were looking for ideas for how best to use the other rooms just at the time when I was looking for a place to set up my pottery studio. It was a perfect match!

I have been running my studio for a few years now, and really appreciate the chance to work in this amazing place. It’s not a huge room, so I limit classes to no more than four students at a time. This means each person can work on their own projects at their own pace in a calm and relaxing atmosphere.