Discover your love of clay and take your skills to the next level…

Pottery Classes, Courses & Workshops in Wiltshire

Marsh Farm Pottery is an artist-owned pottery studio in Hilperton, Wiltshire, offering throwing on the potters’ wheel and handbuilding courses, plus raku and glazing for adults.

Whether you're trying clay for the first time or looking to develop existing skills, we offer a clear learning pathway from 2-hour tasters through to six-week courses, workshops and studio membership.

Browse our upcoming classes below or use the filters to find the right course for your experience and interests.

We are based in Hilperton near Trowbridge, Wiltshire — a short drive from Bradford-on-Avon, Bath, Melksham, Chippenham, Devizes and Frome.

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Handbuilding & Surface Decoration Courses

6-Week Pottery Handbuilding Course | Max. 10 Participants | Wiltshire Pottery Studio

Explore clay through handbuilding, surface decoration and creative making.

Our 6-week handbuilding pottery courses welcome both complete beginners and experienced makers. Whether you're discovering clay for the first time or returning to develop your skills, you'll be supported to create work at your own pace within a friendly and encouraging studio environment.

Over six weeks, you'll explore a range of handbuilding techniques before finishing your work with glazes and decorative oxides during the final session.

Handbuilding is accessible to everyone and places fewer physical demands on the body. It also offers creative freedom, allowing you to work at your own pace while exploring sculptural forms, functional pottery and decorative techniques without the constraints of the potters’ wheel.

What You'll Learn

Complete beginners will be introduced to the core techniques of pottery handbuilding, including:

  • Pinching

  • Coiling

  • Slab building

  • Surface decoration

  • Coloured slips

  • Preparing work for firing

Returning makers and improvers are welcome to develop their own self-directed projects, receiving expert guidance and support throughout the course.

Is This Course Right For Me?

This course is suitable for:

✔ Complete beginners

✔ Returning makers

✔ Improvers looking to develop existing skills

✔ Students interested in sculpture, decorative ceramics or functional pottery

✔ Anyone who enjoys a creative, relaxed approach to working with clay

✔ No previous pottery experience is required.

What's Included?

✔ Six weekly 2.5hrs pottery sessions

✔ Five weeks of making and one glazing session

✔ Maximum 10 participants

✔ Tuition from an experienced ceramic artist

✔ Use of studio tools and equipment

✔ Glazing and oxide decoration in the final session

✔ Firing of finished work

✔ Tea, coffee and biscuits

✔ Free parking

Glazing & Surface Decoration

The final week of the course is dedicated to glazing and oxide decoration, allowing you to finish your work using a range of stoneware glazes, oxides and explore decorative techniques.

We'll guide you through the process and professionally fire your finished pieces ready for collection a few weeks after the course finishes.

Small Groups, Individual Support

With a maximum of 10 participants, the course provides a supportive and welcoming environment where beginners can learn new skills and more experienced makers can develop their own ideas.

Whether you're following the structured beginner projects or pursuing your own creative direction, expert support is always on hand.

Learn From Practising Ceramic Artists

Our handbuilding tutor Rachelle Corker is an experienced ceramic artist who is passionate about helping students develop confidence, creativity and technical understanding through clay.

Whether you're making your very first pinch pot or developing an ambitious personal project, you'll receive guidance tailored to your individual experience and goals.

Continue Your Ceramic Journey

Many students return to further develop their skills through additional handbuilding courses, specialist workshops and studio membership.

Marsh Farm Pottery offers a welcoming creative community where you can continue exploring, learning and growing with clay.

£260.00
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2hrs Pottery Wheel Taster Sessions

2-Hour Pottery Experience | Max. 10 Participants | Wiltshire Pottery Studio

Have a go on the potters’ wheel and discover the joy of clay

Our 2-hour pottery wheel taster sessions are designed for complete beginners and anyone curious about trying pottery for the first time.

With expert guidance from an experienced potter, you'll be introduced to the fundamentals of throwing on the potters’ wheel and have the opportunity to create your own pots. No experience is necessary — just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to get a little mucky!

What Will I Learn?

During your taster session you'll:

  • Learn the basics of throwing on the potters’ wheel

  • Be introduced to centring and shaping clay

  • Create your own pots on the wheel

  • Experience the process of making with clay

  • Enjoy a relaxed and supportive studio environment

  • The emphasis is on having fun, trying something new and enjoying the experience of working with clay on the wheel.

Is This Session Right For Me?

This session is suitable for:

✔ Complete beginners

✔ Couples, friends

✔ Gift recipients

✔ Creative day out experiences

✔ Anyone curious about pottery

✔ No previous experience is required

What's Included?

✔ 2-hour pottery wheel session

✔ Expert tuition from a practising ceramic artist

✔ Use of all tools, equipment and materials

✔ Maximum 10 participants

✔ Studio glazing and firing of your favourite 2x pots

✔ Tea, coffee and biscuits

✔ Free parking

Glazing & Firing

At the end of the session, you'll choose your favourite 2x pots for us to finish.

We'll carefully dry, trim, fire and glaze it in one of our beautiful stoneware glazes before it receives its final firing and is ready for collection a few weeks later.

Small Groups, Plenty of Support

With a maximum of 10 participants, our taster sessions offer plenty of demonstrations, individual guidance and encouragement.

Whether your pot turns out beautifully symmetrical or wonderfully wonky, you'll leave with a new appreciation for the skill, creativity and patience involved in pottery making.

Accessibility & Health

Wheel throwing requires a reasonable level of mobility. Our electric pottery wheels are not suitable for anyone with a pacemaker. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact us before booking so we can discuss the most suitable course for you.

Continue Your Pottery Journey

Many students begin with a taster session before progressing to our Beginner Pottery Wheel Throwing Course, where they can develop confidence and build the foundations of throwing on the potters’ wheel over six weeks.

If you catch the pottery bug, we'd love to welcome you back.

£50.00
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Level 1 Foundations Throwing Courses

6-Week Level One Pottery Wheel Throwing Course | Max. 8 Participants | Wiltshire Pottery Studio

Build strong foundations and discover the joy of pottery wheel throwing

Our Level 1 Foundations pottery wheel throwing course is designed for complete beginners and anyone looking to refresh their core throwing skills.

Over six weeks, you'll learn the essential techniques needed to throw confidently on the potter's wheel. Through regular practice, expert tuition and plenty of encouragement, you'll build confidence while developing good habits that will support your pottery journey for years to come.

What You'll Learn

Throughout the course you'll explore:

  • Preparing clay for throwing

  • Centring and coning clay

  • Opening and pulling walls

  • Throwing cylinders and simple bowls

  • Controlling thickness and shape

  • Trimming and finishing pots

  • Understanding the pottery wheel and throwing process

  • Developing confidence through repetition and practice

Is This Course Right For Me?

This course is perfect if you:

  • Have never used a potter's wheel before

  • Have attended a taster session and want to learn more

  • Have thrown before but would like to refresh your skills

  • Want to build strong technical foundations before progressing further

Think of this course as driving lessons - repeat as many times as you need until your ready to progress on to Level 2

What's Included?

✔ Six weekly 2½-hour pottery wheel throwing sessions

✔ Maximum 8 participants

✔ Expert tuition from ceramic artist Rachelle Corker

✔ Use of all studio tools and equipment

✔ Professional studio glazing of up to 2 finished pots + additional pots available for a fee

✔ Tea, coffee and biscuits

✔ Free Parking

Glazing & Firing

This course focuses on building strong pottery wheel throwing skills.

At the end of the course, you'll choose up to 2 favourite pots for us to glaze and fire in one of our beautiful stoneware finishes, ready for collection a few weeks later.

Many students also choose to continue their pottery journey by joining one of our Community Glazing Sessions, where you'll learn how to glaze your own work using stoneware glazes and oxides.

Small Groups, Individual Support

With a maximum of 8 students, there's plenty of opportunity for demonstrations, individual guidance and one-to-one support.

Whether your first pot is wonderfully wonky or surprisingly elegant, we'll help you develop confidence at your own pace in a relaxed, friendly studio environment.

Learn From a Practising Potter

Level 1 Foundations is taught by Rachelle Corker, founder of Marsh Farm Pottery. Rachelle is passionate about helping complete beginners discover the joy of clay while building strong technical foundations. Her teaching focuses on creating a relaxed, supportive environment where students can enjoy the process, gain confidence and develop skills that prepare them for the next stage of their pottery journey.

Accessibility & Health

Wheel throwing requires a reasonable level of mobility. Our electric pottery wheels are not suitable for anyone with a pacemaker. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact us before booking so we can discuss the most suitable course for you.

Continue Your Ceramic Journey

Many students begin with Level 1 Foundations before progressing to our Level 2 Throwing Course, Community Glazing Sessions, Raku Workshops and Studio Membership.

Marsh Farm Pottery offers a clear learning pathway, helping you develop from complete beginner to confident maker through regular practice, expert tuition and a welcoming creative community.

£280.00
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Community Glazing Sessions

Community Glazing Sessions | 2.5hrs | £30 per Person

Glaze your pottery in a friendly, supported studio environment

Exclusively for Marsh Farm Pottery students and studio members, our Community Glazing Sessions provide the opportunity to glaze your bisque-fired pottery using our range of stoneware dipping glazes and oxides.

Whether you've recently completed one of our throwing courses or you're an existing studio member, these relaxed, tutor-led sessions offer the perfect opportunity to finish your work in a fully equipped pottery studio with expert guidance on hand.

Glazing can often feel like the most daunting stage of the ceramic process. Our Community Glazing Sessions are designed to help you build confidence, explore different glaze combinations and transform your bisque-fired pots into beautiful finished ceramics.

What You'll Explore

During the session you'll have the opportunity to:

  • Learn how to apply stoneware dipping glazes

  • Explore layering glazes to create depth and variation

  • Decorate using oxides

  • Receive guidance on glaze selection and application

  • Understand how different glaze combinations behave during firing

  • Gain confidence glazing your own pottery

With expert support throughout, you'll be encouraged to experiment while developing your understanding of stoneware glazing and ceramic surface decoration.

Is This Course Right For me?

Community Glazing Sessions are exclusively available to:

  • Marsh Farm Pottery students who have completed one of our throwing courses

  • Marsh Farm Pottery studio members

These sessions are designed to help our pottery community continue developing their skills beyond the wheel, giving students and members access to professional glazing facilities and expert support.

What's Included?

✔ Three-hour tutored glazing session

✔ Access to Marsh Farm Pottery's range of stoneware dipping glazes and oxides

✔ Guidance on glaze application and decorative techniques

✔ One glaze firing in our professional electric kilns

✔ Tea, coffee and biscuits

✔ Free parking

Glazing & Firing

The session fee includes glazing and glaze firing of a reasonable amount of work, typically:

  • One large piece

  • Three to four medium pieces

  • Up to eight smaller pieces

If you have a larger quantity of work, please speak to us before booking and we'll be happy to discuss the best option.

All work is glaze fired using Marsh Farm Pottery's standard stoneware firing schedule of 1220°C with a 20-minute soak (Cone 6–8).

As these sessions are exclusively for Marsh Farm Pottery students and members, you can be confident that all work has been made using clay bodies and firing schedules compatible with our studio glazes and kilns.

Why Join a Community Glazing Session?

Glazing is where your pottery truly comes to life. Our Community Glazing Sessions give you the opportunity to take your time, ask questions, experiment with colour and surface, and gain confidence using professional stoneware glazes.

They're also a wonderful opportunity to catch up with fellow makers, share ideas and remain part of the Marsh Farm Pottery community between courses or alongside your studio membership.

Small Groups, Individual Support

Our glazing sessions are intentionally relaxed, allowing plenty of opportunity for one-to-one guidance while glazing alongside other members of our pottery community.

Whether you're glazing your first set of mugs or finishing a larger collection of work, you'll receive friendly support throughout the session.

Accessibility & Health

If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch before booking so we can discuss how we can best support you during the session.

Continue Your Clay Journey

Community Glazing Sessions form part of Marsh Farm Pottery's progressive learning pathway, alongside our Throwing Courses, Handbuilding Courses, Raku Workshops and Studio Membership.

They're designed to help our students and members continue learning, making and developing confidence with clay long after their first course has finished.

£30.00

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FAQs

  • If you're completely new to pottery wheel throwing, we recommend starting with a taster session before progressing through our Level 1 Foundations and Level 2 Design & Form six-week courses. Many students then continue developing skills through specialist workshops, such as glazing, before progressing to independent studio membership.

    If you already have some throwing experience, you may wish to join either Level 1 to refresh and strengthen core skills, or Level 2 to explore more advanced forms, larger pots and greater technique refinement.

    Our all-levels handbuilding courses welcome both beginners and improvers. Complete beginners can learn pinching, coiling and slab building, while returning makers can continue developing skills through making and surface decoration.

    Skills workshops are generally multi-level and beginner-friendly unless otherwise stated, offering opportunities to experiment, learn new techniques and deepen your creative practice.

  • Yes — our pottery classes, courses and workshops are designed for adults of all ages (18yrs and up) and experience levels.

    Whether you're trying clay for the first time, returning to a creative hobby or developing an established practice, we aim to create a welcoming and supportive studio environment where you can learn, make and grow at your own pace.

  • Taster sessions are relaxed 2-hour pottery wheel introductions and make a fun experience, gift or date idea.


    Courses provide structured learning over 6-8 weeks, helping you build confidence and develop skills. Suitable for Beginners and Improvers.


    Workshops focus on particular techniques or creative processes, such as glazing or raku firing. Suitable for Beginners and Improvers.

  • Yes. At Marsh Farm Pottery we offer both pottery wheel throwing and handbuilding classes in our Wiltshire studio, giving students the opportunity to explore different making techniques and creative approaches.

    We teach these separately rather than as one course because they are very different specialisms.

  • Absolutely. Many students begin with a taster session before progressing onto six-week courses and specialist workshops.

    Our courses are designed to support long-term skill development and creative growth at your own pace.

    We also offer studio membership for those looking to take the next step after courses.

  • Marsh Farm Pottery is based in Hilperton, Wiltshire, close to Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon, Melksham, Chippenham, Devizes, and Bath, offering pottery classes, workshops and creative experiences for adults throughout the year.