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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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Level 2 Progression, Design & Form Throwing Courses

6-Week Level 2 Pottery Wheel Throwing Course | Max. 7 Participants | Wiltshire Pottery Studio

Develop your pottery wheel throwing skills and explore more confident making.

Our Level 2 pottery wheel throwing course is designed for potters who have already completed Level 1 Foundations, or have equivalent experience, have the foundational throwing techniques in place, and are ready to progress beyond the basics.

Working alongside an experienced practising potter in a relaxed, supportive studio, you'll refine technique, improve consistency and explore more ambitious forms while developing your own creative voice on the wheel.

Areas We May Explore

Over six weeks, areas of exploration may include the following:

  • Spiral wedging techniques and practice

  • Refining throwing consistency

  • Throwing with larger amounts of clay

  • Throwing off the hump

  • Sectional throwing

  • Bowls and more considered open forms

  • Cylinder variation, height and proportion

  • Handles and pulled additions

  • Lids and lidded forms

  • Pouring forms and spouts

  • Trimming, finishing and refining form - including fluting

  • Developing greater confidence, gesture and individuality in your work

Your tutor will help you in your area of focus - have a think about what you’d like support with or areas for exploration before you book.

Is This Course Right For Me?

This course is ideal if you can already do the following:

  • Weigh-up and wedge your clay ready for throwing

  • Fairly consistently centre, cone, open out and pull up clay (foundational techniques)

  • Fairly consistently throw simple cylinders and bowls

If you're completely new to pottery wheel throwing, or are still trying to master the foundational techniques (detailed above), we recommend starting with Level 1 Foundations. Think of Level 1 like learning to drive. Once you've mastered the foundations, you're ready to explore new destinations with our Level 2 courses.

What's Included?

✔ Six weekly 2½-hour throwing sessions

✔ Maximum 7 participants

✔ Expert tuition from a practising ceramic artist

✔ Use of all studio tools and equipment

✔ Bisque firing of up to 8 finished pots

✔ Tea, coffee and biscuits

✔ Free parking

Glazing & Firing

This course focuses exclusively on pottery wheel throwing, allowing you to spend every session developing your making skills. We'll bisque fire up to 8 finished pots for you at the end of the course.

If you'd like to glaze your work, join our separate Glazing Workshop, where ceramic artist Rachelle Corker will introduce stoneware glazes and oxides, and decoration techniques.

Small Groups, Individual Support

With a maximum of 7 students, you'll receive plenty of one-to-one guidance, demonstrations and feedback while learning alongside a friendly community of fellow makers.

Learn From A Practising Potter

Our Level 2 tutor, Ryo Sakai is an experienced small batch potter with distinctive making practices and a passion for teaching. He'll help you troubleshoot techniques, refine forms and build the confidence to create more considered and ambitious work.

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 continue their learning through our Glazing Workshops, All Levels Handbuilding & Surface Decoration Course, Skills Workshops and Studio Membership.

Marsh Farm Pottery offers a clear learning pathway to help you continue making, experimenting and growing with clay long after your Level 2 course has finished.

£280.00

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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.