Overview:

Chalky Mount Potteries is an artisanal pottery studio located in the parish of Saint Andrew in Barbados. The pottery studio produces functional pottery crafted using traditional methods and local materials. The studio offers a variety of workshops, classes, and demonstrations centered around the art of pottery. Owned and operated by former art student Robert Brathwaite, the pottery studio is located in an old plantation house, nestled among pristine palm trees and verdant hills. Visitors can purchase items from the gift shop located in the studio, or take pottery classes during which they can learn the basics of wheel-throwing and glazing, as well as other techniques related to the decorative arts. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Barbados
Prominent Features:

1. Chalky Mount Potteries - the world's oldest pottery workshop, featuring more than 40 years of family history in the tradition of pottery making. Located on the west coast of Barbados in the parish of Saint Andrew, the workshop boasts an incredible selection of hand-crafted ceramics. 2. Unique designs - Unique and traditional pottery crafted with local clay and firing techniques that ensure a perfect finish each time. Many of the designs have their own fascinating backstory and represent the region's culture and traditions. 3. Local Crafts - As well as pottery, Chalky Mount Potteries also offers a wide range of ceramics and island craft items, ensuring that visitors are surrounded by traditional and locally sourced pieces made with love and care. 4. Friends and Family - What really makes the experience at Chalky Mount Potteries stand out is the warmth and hospitality you will find here. The Potteries are the result of the hard work and love of its owners plus, their vibrant group of friends and family who have made this place come alive. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Barbados.

History:

Chalky Mount Potteries has been producing pottery in Saint Andrew Parish, Barbados, since 1650. The pottery is highly regarded internationally, and has appeared in many notable exhibitions and publications, such as the New York Times and the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The original clay for the pottery comes from land belonging to the Chalky Mount settlement that was founded in 1650 by English settlers who came to the island as part of the English invasion of Barbados. The location of the settlement was ideal as it is located on the slopes of the 1,000-foot Chalky Mount Hill, giving the pottery connection to the area in the form of its name. The earliest documented potter in the Chalky Mount area was Thomas Pearce, an Englishman, who was apprenticed to a brickmaker in 1618. His techniques were passed on to his son, Francis Pearce, who moved to Barbados and established his own pottery at Chalky Mount. In the later 19th Century, following the emancipation of Barbadians in 1838, the pottery industry expanded and several master potters, including Moses Shepherd, arrived to establish their own studios in the community. This allowed craftspeople to use the same techniques for producing pottery as had done Pearce and his son for the past two centuries. From this point on, the Chalky Mount pottery industry expanded and by the late 19th century it was providing employment to over 200 persons. In addition to local residents, African-born potters from Jamaica, Grenada, Trinidad, and other West Indian Islands migrated to the parish of Saint Andrew and honed their craft at the Chalky Mount Potteries. Today, the Chalky Mount Potteries are still a thriving enterprise with its unique pottery and marvellous traditional designs, continuing to produce handmade pottery from its premises in Saint Andrew. It continues to stand as a testimonial to the resilience of the human spirit and of local businesses that have survived centuries of changing political climates, economic hardship, and natural disaster. Visit one of the famous monuments of Barbados with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. Chalky Mount Potteries is located in the St. Andrew district of Barbados and is the oldest working pottery still in existence in Barbados. 2. The pottery has been in operation since the 18th century and is still producing collectable pottery pieces such as rum jugs, serving plates, and commemorative items. 3. The pottery's connection to the local rum industry in Barbados dates back to the 1700s, when the potters used their clay to make rum jugs that were traded throughout the Caribbean. 4. Chalky Mount Potteries is a National Heritage Property of Barbados and has been officially designated as such since 1980. 5. The Potteries are currently owned and operated by the two female descendants of the original founders of the pottery, Valentina Greaves and Lily Reynolds. 6. Tourists are able to purchase pottery pieces directly from the pottery as well as visit the museum and workshop onsite for a glimpse of the traditional pottery making processes. One of the historical monuments of Barbados, it tells the story of a bygone era