With over 1,000 individual pieces, The Burton has one of the most significant ceramic collections in the South West, including numerous items representing North Devon’s local ceramics industry.
Bideford was a significant centre for pottery production in the 17th and 18th centuries, supplying pots across England, Ireland, Wales and North America.
As part of Heritage Open Days 2025 there will be a mini-exhibition of ceramics selected from our archive, displaying works not typically accessible to the public. The focus will be the exchange of ideas and inspiration through ceramics, and how historical traditions are reflected in works by modern ceramicists, including Bernard Leach, Michael Cardew and Shoji Hamada.
The items will be on display from Saturday 13 September until Sunday 21 September.
On Sunday 14 September, 11.30am-12.30pm, there will be a talk by Sadie Green, an expert in North Devon pottery and its export to the Eastern seaboard of America in Elizabethan times. The talk is free to attend but booking is required. Call 01237 471455 to book.
