Welcome to the website of Beakerfolk Pottery. 

This website is being set up to replace the old site, which can no longer be supported by PlusNet and anyway it was out of date and nearly impossible to look at using a small device. If you want to revisit an item on the old site please make contact.

The "Beakerfolk Potter" is Bill Crumbleholme, who lives in the village of Upwey, between Weymouth and Dorchester, in Dorset, Southern England, just south of Maiden Castle and close to the "Pit of Doom" where 50 odd beheaded Vikings was found.

Bill has been making pots since school days, so for many decades. At the end of last century he gave up the day job and took up making pots and teaching classes as a living. Part of that change was the move into making pottery inspired by prehistoric styles. These are reasonably authentic replicas and also more modern vessels inspired by and copying the shapes and decorations of the ancient pots.

Bill also works making pots as commissions for universities and heritage centres and also carries out projects using his pottery skills and knowledge.

Most of Bill's pots are fired in "Woden", a wood fuelled kiln he built and fires with fellow potters, follow the menu link for details of that.

Bill teaches pottery classes in his local village hall and has a very long waiting list.

The Upwey Potters www.upweypotters.com are a group of local potters who lurk in the village and emerge now and then to display their wares and demonstrate their skills. Their annual show is at the end of May every year, to coincide with Dorset Art Weeks (an Open Studios event which Bill helped to manage at the turn of the century).

The Ridgeway Potters Collective www.ridgewaypotterscollective.co.uk is a group of his students, past and present, who come together to fire Woden and trade at local street markets, farmers markets and art festivals.

Bill is one of the founders of the Ancient Wessex Network CIC, www.ancientwessex.net , a group of artisans who work using ancient technologies.