Ullswater Ceramics

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Ullswater Ceramics

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Hi. My name is Helen and I’m a part-time potter based in Cumbria. Mainly to be found on Insta

18/10/2026

I’m probably best known for my swimming mugs (is there an outdoor swimmer in Cumbria who hasn’t not yet bought or been given one?! 😂🥰) but I also do SUP mugs for those who like to (try) and stay dry above the water. (Next year I need to one with the paddleboarder falling off don’t I 😂😂)

You can find a few of these at the beautiful Waterside Gallery at Waterside Campsite, nr Ullswater.

Joan’s gallery is lovely- and all decked out for Christmas 🥰🎄🎁

10/10/2026

Another fabulous trip to Mull this week. Visited my favourite beaches and swam every day at Calgary Bay. Two days without rain!! 😱🥰 Amazing food and multiple eagles - all rounded off by a pod of dolphins on the ferry back.
Delighted to do a delivery of new work to Calgary Gallery | Isle of Mull Art Gallery - they are fully stocked with all lines, including swimming mugs - and I took a few new pieces 🥰

Exited just before the rally started!!

29/08/2026

Well that was my swimming goal for 2026 - a 2km circuit of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen!!

A really good experience- the TrygFonden Christiansborg Rundt organisers and volunteers were brilliant. I had some great company with some lovely fellow swimmers. The water was grand - the only thing I’d change would be not wearing tinted lens as it was dark under the bridges!

25/07/2026

Setting up at Kirby Stephen auction mart.
Stage 1 - not pictured- packing the car and feeling excited

Stage 2: Relief that the pen is quite clean and dry and doesn’t smell

Stage 3: Unpacking the car and questioning life choices and spatial awareness of self and everyone else

Stage 4: (Pictured) Wrestling giant yellow roll of fabric into place around the pen and making a pile in the middle. Feeling in possession of the space

Stage 5: Picture 2- Blocking the space after running round to see what everyone else is doing and then copying a friend 🤣

Stage 5: Cloths are on, starting to set out stands

Stage 6: Getting pots out against the clock

Stage 7: Go home with a big list and finish in the morning- whooo!!!

18/06/2026

I took some of my copper urchins to Langamull beach on Isle of Mull, Scotland this month for a photoshoot.

There’s something super satisfying about pottery that floats!!

09/05/2026

I finally have some swimming mugs in stock on my website. (I’m sorry, pottery goes at its own pace and as a part time potter I’m not so much glacial as tectonic in my making!)

Will be up til Sunday 17th May - or until I run out- whichever happens first!

https://ullswaterceramics.sumupstore.com

17/11/2025

As I’m on a mugs mission I thought I’d do a bit of a run through of some of the steps for one of my swimming coffee cups. The most time consuming part by far is applying handles.

I start by pulling the handle from a sausage of clay and let it dry somewhat. (No photos of this as too messy and also pulling is a slightly unseemly activity 😂.)

1. Shows a mug blank - thrown, then left to dry to leather hard this has been turned to remove excess clay from the foot, create a footring and neaten the bottom. I put in a line for the top of the water so I know where my swimmer will go and some lines for water movement below.

2. I slip and score where the handle will be attached

3. Handle roughly attached

4. Professional potters look away - I add some extra bits of clay to the tops of each join and tidy up. This is a step a true production potter would tackle differently to save time.

5. I add my swimmers

6. Add my stamp at the bottom of the handle

7. Check the alignment of the handle

The mug sits in a damp box for 2 days so handle and mug body can get to know each other and reach an equilibrium of dampness. Then I dry slowly over a few days out of direct heat (both measures to try and avoid warping) before sitting on my radiator for a final blast of heat to get to bone dry.

After bisque firing and glazing, the finished mug.

16/11/2025

This week has been all about swimming mugs! I was so excited when of told me he’d recommended me to the for their piece on the best Christmas gifts for swimmers in the UK. I got slightly more excited when the Guardian got in touch for some photos- then I was blown away this week when I actually made the cut!! Colin has been stocking my mugs for a couple of years now and I’m super grateful to him for thinking of me. Cheers Colin!

https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2024/nov/18/christmas-gifts-swimmers-presents-swimming-costume-googles-bags-wild-pool

I’ve now sold out of my usual swimming mugs - although I’ve a few of my smaller coffee-sized ones still available. But fear not, mug production is on full tilt! Due to other work commitments, I’m am hoping for the next batch - which is currently in the kiln for first firing- to be ready by 25 Nov (fingers crossed) and I’ve got the batch after that partly completed.

In the meantime, I’m gradually adding a few different things to my website.

17/10/2025

Day one of at Penrith wrapped up - two more days to go! Potfest in the Pens is open tomorrow and Sunday at Penrith Auction Mart, Skirsgill 10am to 4:30pm.

I’ve had a lovely day chatting to some great people- and lots of returning customers. Thank you to everyone who stopped at stand 111 to say hi.

Friday is always special with the pot swap and potters’ meal at the end of the day. It’s such a privilege to be part of the pottery community.

Home now for a bit of a restock, regroup and rest!

13/10/2025

Looking forward to .co.uk in the pens near Penrith, this weekend 17-19th October. Coming with my new Calgary-inspired range as well as my raku work, Copper-green Ullswater inspired range- and my famous swimming mugs! Now in three sizes - standard, mini and espresso.

Skirsgill Auction Mart, , , CA11 0DN
10am to 4:30pm daily

Address

Penrith

Website

http://www.ullswaterceramics.com/

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