Salt Glazed
Pottery

10 Year Frost Proof Guarantee

We use the tried and tested traditional methods of hand-throwing, moulding and casting our salt glazed pottery.  Combined with specialised glazing and firing techniques, this old fashioned formula gives Errington Reay pottery it’s truly unique textured finish.  Hand throwing Errington Reay pots requires a great deal of skill.  Apprentices can take up to two years learning to throw just one style of pot while several of our master potters have been with the company for over 25 years.

The unique Errington Reay salt glaze finish is produced from our brick kiln. We have two kilns, both these kilns were completely refurbished in 2001.  The “Newcastle” kiln dates back to 1925 and the “Beehive” Kiln to 1932.  The Newcastle kiln is now used as our visitor centre. Once the kiln is filled, the door is bricked up.  The kiln then take two days and nights to reach the full firing temperature of 1250 degrees centigrade at which point, the salt is added.  When the salt is introduced into the kiln it vaporises and fuses with the surface of the clay. Hence the name, salt glazed pottery.

This forms a glaze which results in the glossy sheen and slightly orange peel texture, enhancing the natural colour of the pot.  Depending on the type of clay or surface decoration the salt glazed pottery will vary in colour and texture from glossy to fairly matt  The salt can also be used as a decorative element on pots, and with specialist handling it can be used to create salted patterns.
When the salting process is complete, the kilns are left for three days to gradually cool before being emptied.  Every Errington Reay product carries our ten year frost proof guarantee and the signature stamp of the potter’s initial and year of creation.

If you need to match a pot colour to an existing Errington Reay pot you already have, please send in a photograph of your pot and we will do our best to match it.