Craft Festival 2026…. amazing!

by Sarah Monk | Jul 24, 2026 | Exhibitions

I had THE MOST wonderful of weekends…

What a fantastic event Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey is! I’ve watched it on the old socials for a while (tbh with a little bit of FOMO ) And I can hand on heart say that this event is everything I had hoped for and more! 😊
I loved all the smiles and chatting with customers. But it’s not only about the sales (although of course they are appreciated) for me it’s about connecting with my Craft Community. At an event like Craft Festival, your neighbouring exhibitors become a little community of their own , so I decided to post a few photos of my neighbours on my Instagram page: @sarah_monk_ceramics

Sarah Monk stood in her display at Craft Festival. She is leaning against a dresser full of her pottery and she is smiling at the camera.

A lady is about to pick up a piece of Sarah Monk pottery from her display shelf as a friend and Sarah Monk look on.

My Number One Seller….

You may not be surprised to hear that my flower bricks did extremly well at Bovey Tracey (thank you to those who purchased). I had a hunch that my mini flower bricks may be having a moment…. and I was correct! I think these little cuties are the equivalent of a potter’s mug. An affordable and easy purchase at £38. They make great gifts too!

So there we go, what a brilliant time I had!

Plus a big shout out to my driver & sales assistant (husband) Jon Williams Pottery.
After, we carried our journey westwards down to Cornwall and treated ourselves to a little holiday! We got back into the studio at Eastnor Pottery on Tuesday 23rd June feeling well rested and inspired!

Next up: h.Art Herefordshire Open Studios from the 5th – 13th September 2026.

See you soon,

Sarah x

Sarah Monk standing in her display laughing with a customer who has her back to the camera

Two pink pottery flower bricks, one large and oval, the other, small and retangular. The are both decorated with sgraffito flowers and fresh elderflowers arranged inside.

Jon Williams stood by the Flying Potter van in the car park with a view of the sea behind him.

Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey 2026

by Sarah Monk | Jun 8, 2026 | News

New designs!

I have been steadily working behind the scenes developing new designs to exhibit at the prestigious and award winning Craft Festival!It takes place from the 12th – 14th June at Mill Marsh Park, Bovey Tracey in Devon. It brings together hundreds of curated makers to showcase high-quality ceramics, jewellery, textiles, and glass, alongside workshops, demonstrations, live music, and local food.

I’m really looking forward to it!

Craft Festival is this week, woohoo! So today I’m selecting pieces for my display!” (see Sarah me arranging my dresser on Instagram here)

A lady with long blond hair and glasses, wearing blue jeans and a brown checked short sleeve top is stood leaning against a painted blue and white dresser filled with pink handmade pottery including a selection of flower bricks.

A pink pottery fruit punnet decorated with drawn flower motifs. It contains fresh strawberries and has a banner at the bottom of the picture saying Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey, 12 - 14 June 2026

A dresser display with 3 shelves full of pink pottery made by Sarah Monk

I have many new pieces to bring (it’s been a productive year!)… so it’s hard to choose! I think I’m going to mix some blue and white pieces together with some pink. The pink is a very recent development… I only started it this year, it’s so new! I’m thrilled with results so far and I hope everyone likes it!
This dresser is coming with me too…. ordinarily it sits here at one end of our main studio. I use it to showcase my latest ideas! So I think it will be lovely to bring a little corner of our Eastnor Pottery studio to Devon!

Come and say ‘hello’, I’m on stand B57.

Hope to see you there!
Sarah x

Craft Festival Bovey Tracey is one of the country’s most respected craft events, welcoming over 10,000 visitors every year from across the UK and beyond

Buy Craft Festival Tickets here!

A wheel thrown handmade pottery set. A matching plate, juicer and jug in white with large blue painted dots all over it.

An oval flower brick with sgraffito flowers etched all over it. The flower brick contains a flower arrangement of pink asters.

Two rectangular pink flower bricks, one large, one smaller. They are decorated with large brown dots.

Christmas Open Studio at Eastnor Pottery

by Sarah Monk | Nov 13, 2025 | Exhibitions, News

Herefordshire Art Week

Having had such a wonderful Herefordshire Art Week here at Eastnor Pottery in September, we’re delighted to be participating in the h.Art Christmas Open Studio Weekends 29 & 30 November and 6 & 7 December 2025.

Three good reasons to visit Eastnor before Christmas!

Not only will myself & (my husband and fellow potter) Jon Williams be opening our festive studio but, our friend and neighbour, blacksmith Andrew Findlay will be opening Eastnor Forge too!

For those of you who haven’t visited Eastnor before, The Pottery and Forge are within 100 metres of each other, occupying independent historic buildings on the Eastnor Castle Estate.

Andrew Findlay – Eastnor Forge

Andrew has 40 years experience as an artist blacksmith and shaper of metal. He has completed a plethora of residential and commercial decorative metalwork projects worldwide. The distinctive style and appearance of his work comes from many years of risk taking, experimentation and learning through doing.

Check out his runner bean bird baths, gingko leaf sculpture and organically inspired garden furniture. Fire-irons, bronze key fobs and letter openers make for wonderful stocking fillers.

Jon Williams – Eastnor Pottery

Jon will be showing his interactive and decorative one offs constructed entirely from sections made on the potter’s wheel. Some pieces are intended to live outside, others are designed to be handled, shaken, tapped or submersed in water – all inspired by nature and natural forms.

Sarah Monk – Eastnor Pottery

I will be exhibiting a wide range of slipware pieces, from small buttons to the largest of flower bricks! I’m very excited to be turning our lovely studio into a grotto of ceramic delights. This is a perfect opportunity to find that one of a kind Christmas gift or simply soak up the festive atmosphere around our studios.

A portrait photo of Jon Williams sat at a potters wheel, hands clasped together resting on the wheel, he is smiling at the camera. He is wearing a black t-shirt, he has curly hair.

Sarah Monk wearing a blue cardigan, sat at her workspace table turning around to look at the camera, she is holding a pottery tool and smiling.

A portrait photo of Andrew Findlay, wearing his blacksmiths apron and wearing a black cap. He is looking at the camera with a slight smile. He is stood and both arms are leaning on an anvil and hammer set in front of him.

The Forge and Pottery will be open 10am – 4pm with festive refreshment on offer in both settings. If you can’t make one of the h.Art weekends, Eastnor Pottery Studio shop is open all year round 10am – 4pm Tuesday – Saturday…right up until and including Saturday 20^th December.

h.Art map reference: 107

Eastnor Pottery, Home Farm, Eastnor, Near Ledbury , Herefordshire, HR8 1EW

What 3 Words:

clubbing.glitz.revolting

Directions:

Eastnor is located 2 miles East of Ledbury on the A438. Ledbury – Tewkesbury road. Once in the village follow the pink Herefordshire Art Week signs.

I look forward to seeing you

Sarah x

A bowl and spoon set. The bowl is green on the outside with painted black spots, inside the bowl is cream and brown. The spoon is matching.

Three iron blacksmith poppy heads on metal sticks.

A ceramic sculpture of a light green pear and it's core.

Herefordshire Art Week: h.Art

by Sarah Monk | Aug 28, 2025 | Exhibitions, News, Pottery Studio Life

Eastnor Pottery Open Studios

It’s not to go until artists and makers all over the county open their doors for Herefordshire Art Week 2025. This marvellous Open Studios event takes place 6 – 14 September and involves 428 artists exhibiting in 138 venues and Eastnor Pottery is proud to be taking part once more!

What will I be exhibiting?

I’m making lots of slipware pieces inspired by nature, ceramic history and the softness of clay.

Wheel thrown cups, plates and bowls. Large flower bricks, aswell as some miniature ones too! They are constructed from soft slabs of terracotta clay.

Slips and colourful underglazes are brushed and splattered on my surfaces, building layers of decoration and colour. Sgraffito flowers are freely etched into the clay, making pieces pleasingly tactile.

In a nutshell – I make little pieces of art for the home, to use and cherish.

Who else will be exhibiting?

Jon Williams (aka my husband and fellow potter) will also be showing his interactive and decorative one offs constructed entirely from sections made on the potter’s wheel. Some pieces are intended to live outside, others are designed to be handled, shaken, tapped or submersed in water.

If there was a common thread through both of our work it would be the notion of playfulness, both in creation and fired outcome.

Inside the studio at Eastnor Pottery. To the front of the photo there are some freshly thrown cups and saucers made by Sarah Monk.

Large fresh pink peonies diplayed in an oval flower brick made by Sarah Monk. The flower brick is cream with bold painted blue flowers.

h.Art Opening times at Eastnor Pottery

We’re open 11am – 5pm throughout – come join us for a complementary cuppa and peruse our pots.

Introduction to the Potter’s Wheel Classes

Each morning at 11am, we’ll be running one of our very popular and entertaining Introduction to the Potter’s Wheel Classes. If you are interested in booking please tap the link!

We look forward to seeing you!

Sarah x

Shelves at Eastnor Pottery filled with the work of Sarah Monk Ceramics. A pottery mug hangs on a hook in the forefront, it's teal with drawn flower motifs, green handle and cream and brown inside. Set behind the mug there's an oval flower brick thats cream with flowers etched on the outside. It contains a display of small fresh flowers. There's a shelf above which contains from left to right, a large teal plant pot with big brown dots, a small green cereal bowl with small brown dots, next to this there's 2 cereal bowls; 1 yellow with etched flowers and the other white with etched flowers. on the edge of the picture there's a corner of a teal flower brick withy etched flowers.

A distant view of Eastnor Pottery as seen from Eastnor Triangle, in the centre of the village.

Craft Festival Cheltenham March 2025

by Sarah Monk | Mar 14, 2025 | Exhibitions, News

A busy start to 2025!

I got straight back to the studio in January, getting new designs underway for Craft Festival Cheltenham! I’ve been making some cups & saucers, juicers, jugs and of course, some of her very popular flower bricks!

I’m paricularly excited about a new idea I’m going to trial too…. which are kind of flower frog teapots. So I’m interested to trial the response!

Who will be at Craft festival Cheltenham?

100 professional crafts exhibitors selected for quality by Craft Festival. See exhibitors here!

Plus an interesting lineup of speakers:

Kate Humble – Broadcaster and writer
Sarah Bayliss – Registered nutritionist
Katy Bevan – Publisher and editor

These will be engaging discussions that will inspire, inform and celebrate the intersection of creativity and well-being.

Flower frog teapot by Sarah Monk in yellow with sgraffito flower design and polka dot handle, spout and lid.

Clay fower frog teapot in the wet cly making stage. It has a lid with holes pierced in to hold flowers. The teapot is on the worktable in Eastnor Pottery, the studio of Sarah Monk Ceramics

Tickets

Craft Festival takes place at Cheltenham Town Hall from Friday 21st March – Sunday 23rd March 2025 and advance tickets can be purchased online for £7 or on the door for £9. Children go free plus there are also some free family activities too!

Opening Times:

Friday and Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 10am-4pm

This is the third time Sarah I’ve exhibited at this fabulous event and I hope you can join in the fun!

Come and say ‘hello’, I’m in the main hall, stand no. 73.

Yellow sgraffito pottery on the display shelves at Eastnor Pottery made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Sarah Monk holding a board of freshly thrown terracotta pouring bowls.

Trio of hand thrown pottery coffee cups, teal with brown dots, yellow with sgraffito flowers and white with blue dots made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Flower Frogs… this Season’s must have!

by Sarah Monk | Feb 6, 2025 | inspiration, News, Uncategorized

Shown by Kelly Hoppen on breakfast TV in February 2024 and declared this season’s must have, my little flower bricks are still proving popular in 2025! Thanks to one of my lovely customers, Jackie for alerting me to this wonderful news. I was able to watch on catch-up! It was most bazaar to see my little flower frog sat alone , on that enormous table with Dermot and Alison.

Anyway, I shall be making some more flower frogs and bringing them to Craft Festival Cheltenham 2025.

March 23rd – 25th at Cheltenham Town Hall.

Hope to See you there!

Sarah x

Teal round flower frog with sgraffito meadow flowers with four round feet displayed with fresh daffodils and yellow primroses made by sarah Monk Ceramics

Ceramic flower frog i yellow with etched sgraffito flowers and four round feet. Displayed with fresh daffodils and primrose. Made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Flower fog by Sarah Monk Ceramics in white with blue and sgraffito flowers, displayed with fresh michaelmas daisies.

Guest Speaker at Preparing to Sell, Hereford.

by Sarah Monk | Feb 6, 2025 | News

I’ve been invited to Hereford College of Arts, on Thursday 20th February for Preparing to Sell.

This will be a lively and informative day, led by Sarah James MBE, Director of Craft Festival and Find a Maker. It will give makers at all stages of their career, the best possible advice for selling directly to the public.

Suitable for makers at all stages of their career Preparing to Sell is also a great opportunity to network and is also suitable for students who want to get ahead.

Sarah James MBE will be joined by marketing consultant, Susan James, social media specialist, Lou Chudney from Spark_Social and of course, myself!

brown planter and tray with sgraffito daisies made by sarah monk ceramics, corner view

What the day includes:

· How to Apply for Craft Fairs, ideas on stand presentation, sales techniques and tips and the importance of good photography

· How to start your business and how to diversify your practise.

· How to plan and deliver a marketing plan

· Why sell directly to the public? How to Make Your Show a Success

· What are the Do’s and Don’ts when taking part in big events

Price includes tea, coffee, biscuits. Please bring your lunch of choice or alternatively, Hereford College has an on-site café.

The whole day costs just £49. (Hereford College of Arts Students, £29

Venue: Hereford College of Arts
Date: Thursday February 20th 2025
Time: 9.30am till 3pm

Book Preparing to Sell here!

Herefordshire Open Studios: H.Art

by Sarah Monk | Sep 11, 2022 | News, Uncategorized

From the 3rd ’till the 11th September 2022 it’s Herefordshire Art Week, or H.Art as it is fondly known!

work in progress studio shot of slipware bt Sarah Monk Ceramics

flower brick work in progress ata eastnor pottery by sarah monk

#herefordshireartweek heralds an exciting 9 days of open studios. There’s over 130 artistans taking part. Here at Eastnor Pottery, myself and my husband/ fellow potter Jon Williams are venue at 121.

All welcome, please come and browse our studio shop, take a look at our pottery experiences teaching space and talk all things pottery!

Potter’s Wheel Classes Re-open!

by Sarah Monk | Jun 29, 2021 | Potter's Wheel Courses

April saw the re-opening of our pottery classes and courses at Eastnor Pottery. So wonderful to invite people back into our studio and teach the delights of the potter’s wheel. We are fortunate to have a large studio and a beautifully decorated, bake-off style ‘Potting Tent’ marquee. Our studio is set in the rural county of Herefordshire and is a stone’s throw from the Malvern Hills and the picturesque market town of Ledbury.

The fornt door and garden full of flowers at Eastnor Pottery in the spring

The interior of the potting tent marquee decorated with bunting and bistro tables

Article in Clay Craft Magazine Issue 40

by Sarah Monk | Sep 30, 2020 | inspiration, News, Pottery Studio Life

Lovely article in Clay Craft Magazine!

Ceramic journalist Paul Bailey writes about how I got into ceramics and the current everyday running of my Herefordshire studio. Paul delves into the courses and workshops and the inspiration behind my most recent designs.

Clay Craft Magazine is jam packed full of inspiration for potters as well as providing simple projects for all abilities. Such a lovely vibrant magazine!

Thank you Clay Craft and a big thank you to Paul for writing it!

You can find my proflie article in Issue 40 and it’s titled ‘Surrounded By Ceramics’.

slipware cup handmade spoon and biscuit plate by sarah monk ceramics plus clay craft magazine font cover

holding a slipware cup with tea inside and holding magazine article

scribble hand thrown teapot by sarah monk ceramic

When I recieved my copy, I settled down in the corner of my studio with a nice cup of tea, a few biscuits and had a good read!

I have now ordered a subsription and look forward to receiving it regularly!

Emerging Potters Magazine.

by Sarah Monk | Apr 17, 2020 | inspiration, News, Pottery Studio Life

I’ve been featured in a lovely online magazine! It’s called Emerging Potters and contains 35 pages of ceramic artists, gallery news and book reviews. Paul Bailey, the editor asked me six questions: how I got into ceramics, a bit about Eastnor Pottery, my influences, where I sell, how do I use social media and my observations of how pottery has changed in the last 5 years. Paul has put my answers into a beautifully wriiten three page article.

The feature can be found in the April to June copy, Issue 14 . The magazine is produced quarterly on the ISSUU platform. Paul is very happy to send a copy if you email: paulbailey123@googlemail.com

You can also follow Emerging Potters on Instagram here!

Paul has also asked for some extra images of my work to write an article for Clay Craft Magazine. Thanks Paul!!!!

Ceramic Rabbit in Puzzle Wood.

by Sarah Monk | Apr 17, 2020 | News, Outside

Making ceramic bunnies is not my usual bag I admit, but when Helen, from Puzzle Wood put a call out to local Potters to contribute to her Rabbit trail I couldn’t resist! Puzzle Wood is a magical ancient woodland in the Forest of Dean. It’s a great place to explore with the kids, as we have done many times with our own and is a popular TV and film location. Helen’s idea was to launch a kid’s trail over the usually busy Easter weekend.

I started making my contribution back in February, deciding to hand coil it. A technique I never ever use, but thought it would be fun to do something different. I used terracotta clay because it has a deep, earthy colour very fitting for a rich, earthy forest. Once built, I covered the whole rabbit in white slip and then scratched into it with simplified flowers and splatters of cobalt blue. I wanted it to be blue & white; a classic ceramic pallet that would stand out against a backdrop of forest green.

Unfortunately because of the pandemic, Puzzle Wood closed to the public. Helen decided to continue her plans in a different way and turned it into The Great Virtual Puzzle Wood Easter Trail!! Available to view on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages.

There’s a colouring competition too, with lots of great prizes, including a couple from us here at Eastnor Pottery!

New designs!

I’m really looking forward to it!

What the day includes:

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