Ash & Oak is a small pottery studio working with wild clay, wood ash glazes, and quiet intention. Each piece is thrown, trimmed, and glazed in our light-filled workshop at the edge of the woods.
A mug that fits perfectly in your palm. A serving bowl that holds the weight of a shared meal. A vase that catches the last light of the day.
At Ash & Oak, we believe ceramics should be quiet companions. Our work is rooted in the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi: beauty in imperfection, transience, and the trace of the hand.
“We work slowly, on purpose. Clay cannot be rushed. It teaches patience, presence, and respect for material.”
Locally dug stoneware and porcelain, washed and wedged by hand. We reclaim every scrap.
Reduction-fired to 1280°C in our gas kiln, with ash glazes that break and pool unpredictably.
14 days from wedging to final firing. No shortcuts, no mass production, no two pieces alike.
Our studio is a converted apple store, with whitewashed walls, reclaimed oak benches, and north-facing windows that bring in soft, even light all day. In winter, the kiln warms the space. In summer, the doors stay open to the garden.
Shelves line the walls with works in progress, test tiles, glaze notes, and bowls that didn't make the cut but are too loved to recycle.
Founder & Potter
Elinor trained in St Ives and spent three years apprenticing in Mashiko, Japan, before returning to establish Ash & Oak. Her work explores the quiet relationship between function and ritual — how a daily object can anchor a moment.
When not at the wheel, she tends the dye garden, mixes glazes from wood ash collected in the valley, and teaches small groups in the workshop.
Removing air, aligning particles, preparing the clay body for the wheel.
Centering and opening on the wheel. Form found through pressure and water.
When leather-hard, feet are turned, walls refined, weight considered.
First firing to 1000°C, transforming soft clay into resilient ceramic.
Dipped, poured, or brushed with ash glazes made from oak, ash, and applewood.
28-hour firing to 1280°C. Reduction atmosphere brings depth and flux.
Feet polished, bases waxed, each piece inspected and held before release.
Small runs. Limited editions. Designed to be mixed, not matched.
Soft ash white glaze over warm stoneware. For coffee, oats, and quiet starts.
From $32
Large serving forms with iron-speckled shino. Built for shared meals.
From $85
Minimal vessels with unglazed exteriors and satin interior glaze.
From $58We keep our workshops intentionally small — six people maximum — so you have space, light, and attention. No experience needed, just curiosity.
Introduction to the wheel. Clay, tools, and apron provided. Take home your best piece after firing.
$95 • Saturdays 10am—1pmCoil, pinch, and slab techniques to create functional ware. Includes glaze and firing.
$280 • MonthlyFor potters with experience. Explore ash glazes, slips, and kiln packing with Elinor.
$320 • Quarterly
We are tucked just outside town, down a chalk track lined with hazel. Look for the oak sign and the small red door. Parking is by the barn.
We love making pieces for specific homes and rituals — a set of mugs for a new kitchen, a large bowl for a 40th birthday, a pair of vases for a wedding. Tell us what you have in mind.