The Anagama Kiln
Le Four du Coucou is fired every year in April. It is fired by a team of eight to ten potters over four or five days. It takes a good four days to pack and a week to cool. There are core members of the firing team but we welcome other potters who are interested/enthusiastic. Some experience is certainly an advantage.
If you would like to participate in a firing do get in touch.
Images from previous firings can be seen on my Instagram page.
The kiln is in the heart of the Charente region of France. We fire it each year in April and it is named The Cuckoo Kiln as the cuckoo calls ceaselessly throughout the firing.
For anyone interested in the anagama firing process here is a short(ish) film that was made in 2024 of the Easter firing of The Cuckoo Kiln. It is very engaging and gives a good sense of what a firing involves.
Clint Dougherty, an American cinematographer who worked for the BBC and was then living in France volunteered to film our firing. It was a wonderful opportunity for us all and I am delighted with the result.
The potters who took part were: Harriet Coleridge, Frédérique Bua, John Mackenzie, Rose Brettingham, Iona Crawford Topp, Raffa Borja, Callum Forbes, Alice Brown and Katie Inglis.
Lunches provided by my neighbour, Marietta Goederond, sustained us all throughout.
Harriet Coleridge Ceramics
Ewelme Pottery, Parsons Lane, Ewelme, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 6HP
m: 07474 714514 | e: harrietcoleridge14@gmail.com | Instagram: harriet_coleridge_potter
Visitors are welcome but are advised to telephone first
Galleries: Contemporary Ceramics, London WC1 | New Brewery Arts, Cirencester | The Leach Pottery, St. Ives