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‘Torquay Pottery’ has become the generic term covering the numerous potteries that made Art Pottery and later souvenir/household pottery, from around 1860 until the late 20th century, mainly using local sources of red Devon clay. These potteries were based within about 5 miles of Torquay, in Devon, but also include a few other West Country potteries which copied the Torquay style. They were usually established by craftsmen who had learnt or practised their skills in Torquay.

These potteries are the subject of this website, and we hope to inform those curious to know more, possibly having come across a piece of pottery at an antique fair or by inheritance as well as the novice collector. We believe that the more experienced collector will also find something of interest and quite possibly have something to share with us.

It is clear from some descriptions applied to pots for sale that these names may be interchangeable, they are not and only the experienced collector will be able to identify wares from each pottery. Perhaps the most confusing is the Torquay Pottery (later to become Royal Torquay Pottery), whose wares are quite distinctive. We hope you enjoy these pages and that your collection will be a pleasure for years to come.

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Updated 3rd May: Revision to Plymouth Gas Fired Pottery;  Gurgle Fish jugs & Scandy pattern in collecting themes;  Kingfishers;  Let’s have your ‘First Pot’, anonymous or not!; Inkwells;  More Pots for Sale;  Watcombe Cottage Pottery on Collecting Themes;  Shaving Mugs; Events;  Collection for sale in California, see Pots for Sale;  Jugs on Collecting themes;   Odds and Ends page;   Devonmoor Art Pottery;  Not Torquay – (Cyril Wilson, Ron Jackson, Dartmoor Ware -Bovey Pottery Co. Ltd. and Forster & Hunt at Honiton);  January Price Guide;   Dartmouth Pottery – The Middle years;  Men Only;   Breweriana (under Collecting Themes);  Torquay Pottery – (Royal & Hele Cross);  Watcombe Pottery;  Longpark Pottery.

The collecting of pottery is a pleasure, to hold a pot perhaps a hundred years old in nearly identical condition now as it was the day it came out of the kiln, is always a joy.   Few other works of art can boast this.   Furniture, paintings and drawings all degrade over the years, but pottery endures like none of these and there are still many treasures to be found.
The term ‘Torquay Potteries’ has grown to include many potteries, such as Aller Vale, Watcombe, Dartmouth, Babbacombe, Exeter, Longpark and many others.   It can be confusing to new collectors that there is also a large pottery actually called Torquay Pottery, later Royal Torquay Pottery. The various potteries are all listed under the Potteries menu on this page.
We would ask users of this site to inter-act with us by responding to the various sections such as ‘Ancestry’ or our ‘Help Line’, with any information they have and wish to share.    We will publish answers to help spread information to fellow collectors.

This site is run by enthusiastic collectors and is for the use of all collectors and others with an interest in these fascinating potteries.

Hosted by Michael Mapp, Peter Whight and Keith Poole

Longpark 11" Plate with poem by Charles Kingsley

Longpark 11" Plate with poem by Charles Kingsley