Equality, Inclusion & Respect

At Marsh Farm Pottery, we're committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive and respectful environment where everyone can enjoy learning, making and sharing a love of ceramics.

We welcome people of all backgrounds, faiths, ethnicities, genders and abilities and expect everyone using the studio to treat staff, tutors, members and visitors with kindness and respect.

Bullying, discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive language or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated. Anyone whose behaviour compromises the safety or wellbeing of others may be asked to leave immediately and may be permanently excluded from future classes, workshops or membership.

Accessibility

We want our studio to be as welcoming and accessible as possible.

If you have a disability, medical condition or access requirement that may affect your participation, please contact us before booking or attending your session. We'll discuss your requirements and do everything reasonably possible to support your visit.

Please note that pottery wheel throwing requires a reasonable level of mobility. Our Shimpo RK55 pottery wheels are positioned close to the floor, so participants must be able to safely get on and off the stool repeatedly throughout the session.

Age Restrictions

Marsh Farm Pottery is an adults-only pottery studio. All classes, workshops, taster sessions and memberships are available to people aged 18 years and over.

Bookings & Payment

All bookings must be made through our website and paid for in advance. We do not accept cash payments.

Payments are processed securely through Stripe. Marsh Farm Pottery does not store or have access to your payment card details.

Where a refund is due under these Terms & Conditions or your statutory consumer rights, it will be processed to the original payment method used for the purchase.

Cancelling Your Booking

As a small independent pottery studio, our classes operate with limited spaces and fixed staffing costs.

Bookings for pottery courses, workshops, taster sessions and events are for leisure activities taking place on specific dates and are therefore exempt from the statutory 14-day cooling-off period under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

For this reason, we cannot offer refunds, transfers, exchanges or replacement sessions if you:

• are unable to attend;

• arrive late;

• leave early;

• miss part or all of a class; or

• change your mind after booking.

If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to give your place to a friend or family member. Please let us know before the class begins so we can update our records.

Please check all course dates carefully before completing your booking.

If We Need to Cancel

Although cancellations are rare, there may occasionally be circumstances beyond our control, including tutor illness, extreme weather, building issues or other unforeseen circumstances.

If we cancel an entire course, workshop or taster before it begins, we'll offer you a place on another available course, workshop or taster of your choice, subject to availability.

If we need to cancel an individual session within a course, we'll arrange a replacement date so that you receive all of the tuition and studio time included in your booking.

Where we are unable to provide a suitable alternative, any refund due will be made to the original payment method used for the booking.

Gift Vouchers

Gift vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase and may be redeemed against eligible pottery classes, workshops and taster sessions during that period.

If you purchase a gift voucher online, you have the right to cancel your purchase within 14 days of purchase, provided the voucher has not been redeemed in full or in part.

Once a gift voucher has been redeemed, either wholly or partially, it is no longer eligible for cancellation or refund.

Any refund due will be made to the original payment method used for the purchase.

Clay, Materials & Additional Firing

The materials included with your booking are described within each course, workshop or taster session.

If you use additional clay beyond the standard allowance included with your booking, this will be charged at £5 per kilogram of unfired clay.

If your work requires significantly more kiln space than the standard allowance, an additional firing charge may apply.

We'll always discuss any additional costs with you before firing takes place, allowing you to decide how you'd like to proceed.

Additional pots from throwing courses outside of the course allowance can be purchased for £10 per additional glaze-fired item.

Payment for additional clay, firing or pots must be made before firing takes place.

The Ceramic Firing Process

Making in ceramics is a complex process and, despite every care being taken, clay and glaze can behave unpredictably during drying and firing.

Occasionally work may crack, warp, glaze unexpectedly or fail during the firing process.

Unfortunately, Marsh Farm Pottery cannot guarantee successful firing and cannot offer compensation for work lost or damaged during drying, glazing or firing.

Finished work is usually ready for collection between 4–8 weeks after your course or workshop, depending on drying times and kiln schedules.

We'll email you as soon as your work is ready to collect - please be patient and wait for the email as there’s lots of work involved behind the scenes.

Collecting Your Pottery

Please collect your pottery during the collection dates and times provided in your email.

Please bring suitable packaging or a box to transport your pottery home safely.

Work must be collected within one month of the collection email being sent.

After this time, uncollected work may be recycled or responsibly disposed of due to limited storage space.

Please take all of your work home, including any unsuccessful pieces, as we do not have facilities for disposing of unwanted ceramics.

Health & Safety

Your safety is important to us.

Everyone using the studio must follow all health and safety guidance, tutor instructions and studio procedures at all times.

If you're unsure how to use any equipment or materials safely, please ask before using them.

For health and safety reasons, anyone fitted with a pacemaker cannot participate in pottery wheel throwing, as advised by the wheel manufacturer due to the electric motor used within the pottery wheels.

Anyone attending under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or whose behaviour is considered unsafe, disruptive or places others at risk, may be asked to leave without refund.

Marsh Farm Pottery cannot be held responsible for injury resulting from misuse of equipment or failure to follow health and safety instructions.

Studio Membership

Studio membership provides independent access to our communal pottery studio during published membership opening hours.

Members are responsible for working safely, cleaning their workspace, following studio procedures and respecting the shared environment.

Membership is personal and cannot be shared.

Visitors are not permitted within the studio outside organised open studio events.

We offer four membership tiers based on weekly studio access:

• Studio 1 – 3 hours per week

• Studio 2 – 6 hours per week

• Studio 3 – 9 hours per week

• Studio+ – Unlimited access during membership opening hours

Membership numbers are intentionally limited so members can access the studio without needing to book sessions in advance.

All new memberships have a minimum commitment period of three months.

After the initial three-month period, memberships continue on a rolling monthly basis.

Membership may be cancelled after the minimum term by giving 3 months notice.

Membership fees remain payable throughout the notice period, regardless of studio usage.

Members are responsible for purchasing their own clay, glazes, underglazes and other consumable materials. Firing charges are payable in accordance with the current studio price list.

Photography & Marketing

From time to time we may take photographs or short videos within the studio for use on our website, social media and other marketing materials.

If you would prefer not to appear in any photographs or videos, please let a member of staff know before your session and we'll be happy to accommodate your request.

Personal Property

Please take care of your personal belongings while visiting Marsh Farm Pottery.

As pottery can be messy, we recommend leaving valuable items such as jewellery, watches and other sentimental or expensive belongings at home wherever possible.

Marsh Farm Pottery accepts no responsibility for the loss, theft or damage of personal property, including clothing, mobile phones, jewellery, tools, vehicles and bicycles.

Personal belongings, vehicles and bicycles are brought onto the premises entirely at your own risk. Please ensure vehicles are locked and do not leave valuables unattended.

Any deliberate damage to studio equipment or theft will be reported to the police and may result in permanent exclusion from the studio.

Changes to These Terms & Conditions

Marsh Farm Pottery reserves the right to amend these Terms & Conditions from time to time.

The latest version will always be published on our website and will apply to all future bookings and memberships.