Whichford Woodfired Kiln

Something new and exciting is happening at the Pottery! Jim, Adam and the team have built a game-changing woodfired kiln — big, bold and bursting with potential. As so often in business, ideas grow organically — in the 1990s Jim often travelled to Japan, where he grew connections with the potters of Bizen. As with our flowerpots, Bizen ware is unglazed, but fired to a higher temperature over the course of many days using wood which creates wonderfully diverse and complex finishes on the surface of raw clay. Jim was instantly attracted to the unique properties achieved through the Anagama firing process alongwith the ritual nature of long, manual firings. 

We knew we needed a kiln that was big enough to house and fire large sculptural pieces and ali baba jars. The design of this kiln has been in the making for over 15 years and incorporates elements of the Japanese tradition and both north American and European technique. It sits at 6 metres long and features eleven stoke holes and a twin chimney for maximum drag. All the bricks used to build our Woodfired Kiln are reclaimed, the lovely large bricks at the base of the arch were kindly given to Jim by his friend David Garland and were first used in a 19^th century circular lime kiln. 

The entire process of firing our Kiln, from loading to unloading takes around four weeks and involves a dedicated team of skilled stokers. Once the kiln is carefully loaded and sealed, over the next several days, potters continually stoke the fire with wood, first from the front firebox and then slowly drawing the heat down and back using the side stoke holes until it reaches the optimum temperature. 

The wood-firing process itself is a great inspiration. The material (clay) and process (fire) together generate extraordinary textures and finishes. No glaze is used: the many different dramatic effects are created simply by the flames themselves as they lick around the pots; or by melted woodash which settles and sticks during the firing; or by deep coverings of white-hot embers. No two parts of the object are the same, each one telling its own story and we are very excited about what our team will be able to create and achieve!