Bridie Maddocks

Bridie Maddocks first started pottery at an evening class, and from then on knew she was hooked and wanted to pursue ceramics further. A few years later, she started a two-year apprenticeship with Dartmoor-based potters Nic Collins and Sabine Nemet.

It was during this time she found her love of wood firing. The physical challenges of preparing the materials, chopping and stacking the wood, the heat from the kiln, and the coming together of friends and family to fire it, are part of the enjoyment of her unique process.

After her apprenticeship ended, Bridie Maddocks set up her own workshop on the north coast of Devon and built her wood-fired, down-draught kiln. She now makes her wares just outside of Falmouth, in Penryn, but still fires back in Devon three times a year.

Bridie’s pieces are wood-fired in a kiln to a temperature of 1280 degrees. Each piece is then glazed and decorated once dry and fired from raw clay, so there is no bisque firing. The pots are fired for around 32 hours, with the kiln heated solely from wood. When the kiln has reached the right temperature, bicarbonate of soda is sprayed in over a 3 to 4 hour period before ending with a soak and final temperature reach. The kiln takes around 3-4 days to cool.

This intricate process of wood firing results in each piece having a unique appearance, lending character, personality and individuality. Bridie’s work is intended to be treasured but also to be used and enjoyed in your daily rituals.