John Leach (Muchelney Pottery)
John, sadly passed away in 2021.
John Leach | Ceramics | Somerset
Muchelney Pottery was established in 1965 by John Leach and his wife Lizzie. John set up the Pottery having trained with his grandfather Bernard, and his father David to continue the tradition of high quality handmade ceramics. John with Nick Rees, were the core team for many years along with students who came to learn the craft of working with clay. One of these students was Mark Melbourne who has been part of the Muchelney team for 16 years.
Muchelney Pottery is about the making of tactile forms robustly made with strong shapes and fire-licked decoration. The family tradition is based on knowledge about a natural substance and how it can be worked with to create items of beauty and functionality. Inspiration for pieces comes from a variety of sources, from the land (especially John’s wild life pond) to travels that John has made as far as Africa, then back to Taunton Museum which houses the Black Jack leather jug from Montacute House. Pieces are all about understanding line and form – a tactile feast for the eyes as well as the hand! The success of the Pottery is founded on traditional team values and the quest at all times for quality.
Always keen to develop new ideas and moving forward to develop the business John and Lizzie opened a gallery in 2003. The John Leach Gallery marked the start of a new era with a fabulous venue to show their work and the work of other great artists of local and world renown. What will the next years bring? Keep in touch and find out! No doubt the Pottery will continue to flourish and innovate enabling us all to have and enjoy craftsman-made pots to enrich our everyday lives.
