Ewenny Pottery, founded in 1610 in the village of
Ewenny
Ewenny ( cy, Ewenni) is a village and community (parish) on the River Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
Over the years the village has grown into the neighbouring village of Corntown to such an extent that there is no longer a clear boundar ...
, is the oldest working
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
.
[
]
Background
The village of Ewenny is sited above all of the natural resources to make the local red earthenware pottery: clay deposited from the ice age; wood and coal for firing; glaze materials; and stone to build the kilns
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay int ...
. Since 1427, there have been fifteen potteries in the Ewenny area at one time or another, all small family concerns.
Foundation
The Ewenny Pottery was founded in 1610, probably by farmers in the area looking to make commercial use of the clay. In the early 1800s Evan Jenkins married Mary, the daughter of then owner John Morgan, and so started the Jenkins family period of ownership that continues to this present day. The products at this time would have been mainly for agricultural and local use, plus occasional commissions. At this time, the number of potteries in the area was at its height, but quickly dwindled due to the onset of cheap enamelware
Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between . The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating. The word comes from the Lati ...
and china imports from the Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The ter ...
.[
]
Horace W Elliot
In 1883 at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement, Bayswater, London
Bayswater is an area within the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
based designer and ceramics dealer Horace W Elliot was visiting country potteries looking for pieces to sell in his showrooms. Having struck up a friendship with the Jenkins brothers, he is particularly associated with Ewenny, but also with C.H. Brannam and Bourne Denby.[
Elliott made annual visits to Eweny until 1913, designing many pieces for the Jenkins brothers to make. His fleur-de-lys design mark was often applied to Ewenny and other wares, and as a proponent of the ]Esperanto
Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...
movement, sometimes inscribed his pots in that language.
David John Jenkins
In the early 1900s, David John Jenkins was born into the family business. After working with his father in the pottery and uncles at the claypits, he married Martha Arthur whose family had owned the Corntown
Corntown () is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan. It lies along the B4524 road, just outside Bridgend, 21.6 miles west of the centre of Cardiff. It has grown around Corntown Farm.
Chapel Wood frames part of its western side. The Golden Mi ...
Pottery, with whom he had seven children.[
After buying the Ewenny Pottery from his cousin Edwin II, he invented the classical mottled-glazing technique that is still used by the pottery today. The piece is firstly dipped completely in one glaze, and then splashed with a second glaze. David John Jenkins created the technique as he had noticed that thanks to the railways, there were many more visitors travelling into the countryside looking for a unique and original memento of their excursion.][
At the outbreak of ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, all of his sons were called-up, and he could only fire the kiln when given permission by the Air Raid Warden
Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organisations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s an ...
. He was however regularly commissioned by ROF Bridgend
ROF Bridgend, (Filling Factory No. 2), located in Bridgend, South Wales, was one of the largest of sixteen World War II, UK government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory munitions Filling Factories. Of great significance to the Britain's war effort, a ...
to make one-off and commemorative pieces, with his son Dai given leave of absence on one occasion from the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
to help his father fire the kilns.
Post WW2
Post the war, and only Dai and Arthur returned to the business. With growth in the business, the partnership could no longer afford to dig its own clay, and so it consolidated to just being a pottery. After the death of David John Jenkins in 1961, the two brothers became co-owners. However, with mass-produced pottery now cheap, the business was in decline.[
In 1969, Arthur's eldest son Alun had graduated with a degree in Ceramics from ]Cardiff College of Art
Cardiff School of Art & Design (CSAD) is one of the five schools that comprise Cardiff Metropolitan University. It originated as the Cardiff School of Art in 1865.
History
Cardiff School of Art & Design opened in 1865 as the Cardiff School of S ...
. Wishing to see the business continue, Alun and his wife Jayne started producing pieces in their garage, and then gained a large commission to produce commemorative mugs for the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the Silver jubilee, 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth o ...
in 1977.[
]
Present
Alun and Jayne Jenkins (7th generation) continue to produce pieces, together with their daughter Caitlin Jenkins (8th generation) who has a degree in ceramics from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff
, image_name = Shield of Cardiff Metropolitan University.svg
, image_size = 150px
, motto = cy, Gorau Meddiant Gwybodaeth
, mottoeng = The most valuable possession is knowledge
, established = 2011 – Car ...
and a master's degree from the Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...
. The present pottery and showrooms are situated on the site of a former kiln, on the main road through the village of Ewenny.[
]
References
{{reflist
External links
Pottery website
Ceramics manufacturers of Wales
1610 establishments in England
Bridgend
1610 in Wales
Arts and Crafts movement
Welsh pottery
Tourist attractions in Bridgend County Borough
Art pottery