Tarka Pottery
Tarka Pottery
5
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
About
TARKA POTTERY North Devon An exciting and inspiring clay experience studio where you can discover a hidden talent, try a new hobby or just enjoy a relaxing time working with clay. Enjoy a Potter's Wheel Experience or longer creative time with clay - with patient and knowledgeable tutors at a professional pottery studio. You can also paint pottery, a relaxing activity at any time. Our approach is relaxed and informal, with an emphasis on having fun and getting creative in a friendly, enjoyable environment. Activities are suitable for all - families, adults, children, couples. So enjoy a great day out, celebrate a birthday party with friends or hens. We're open all year round and surrounded by beautiful countryside, with stunning views, Book via www.tarkapottery.co.uk Located just a 5-minute drive from RHS Rosemoor Gardens and Dartington Crystal in Great Torrington. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Address
Reach out directly
See what travelers are saying
  • Minnit
    Exeter, United Kingdom36 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great fun experience
    Brilliant few hours spent throwing a pot and decorating! Becky was a great teacher and very patient and helpful. A great experience, and we all want to go again, can’t wait to see our finished fired pots.
    Hi Mim Thanks for your lovely review following your brilliant couple of hours of throwing with Becky. It's great to hear that you had such a good experience, we all love teaching throwing and we hope you do get the chance to come back soon! We're sure you'll love your fired pottery. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written May 3, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 23, 2023
  • Winters End R
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hen Afternoon
    A group of eight of us went for my daughters' hen do for a creative clay experience. We had an amazing time snd were well looked after by Lynne and Becky. Can't wait to see our glazed and fired offerings in a few weeks time! Everyone's creations were uniquely different, and whilst I don't think any of us are ready to enter the Great Pottery Throw-down hopefully eight individual works of art will be treasured in their respective homes for many years to come.
    Hello Thanks for much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review about the Creative Clay experience you had with your daughter's Hen Party here at Tarka Pottery. We're so pleased to hear that Lynne and Becky helped you all create fabulous pots and they both think that at least a couple would stand up to the test for the Great Pottery Throwdown! We hope you do love your individual works of art and that they will be treasured as lovely memories of a Hen Party. All best wishes for the wedding. Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written June 28, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 25, 2023
  • Sarah H
    Devon, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect session for crafty child
    I booked a family session for my crafty 5 year old daughter and I. We were warmly welcomed at our session. The staff took time to demonstrate to us how to make a vase and were very friendly and approachable if we had any questions. My daughter was able to choose her own design and colours to decorate her vase with. It was a fun and relaxing morning and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed it. She is thrilled with her little vase!
    Hi Sarah Thanks for coming along to a family session with your crafty 5-year-old daughter. It's lovely to hear that you found our staff friendly and approachable and that the demonstration and help provided were useful in enabling your daughter to create her own design and then glaze her vase using the colours she chose. We love working with families and it's so good to hear that your daughter is thrilled with her vase! We hope to see you both again at our family workshops over the summer. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written June 28, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 26, 2023
  • Jay P
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing experience
    What a beautiful creative place! I loved every minute of my clay making and decorating experience. The owners were very helpful and guided us clearly how to design and make our pots. I would love to go again! Can't wait to receive our pots in the post soon. Pal and Jay Thank you !
    Hi Pal and Jay Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review after your visit. We're so pleased to hear that you loved every minute of your clay-making and decorating experience - we all take great pleasure in helping our customers have a great time with clay and enjoy a creative couple of hours. Lovely to hear that you would come back, and we'd welcome you back next time you're in North Devon. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written July 30, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 22, 2023
  • gillyaston
    Lymington, United Kingdom17 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Paw prints in clay
    We hadn’t booked but as we were in the area decided to call in to see what Tarka Pottery offered. We had our golden Labrador with us & thought it would be nice to get his paw prints put in Clay. Usually we would have needed to book but the lovely lady we spoke to offered do it while we were there. It was a great experience & our dog gave up his paw willingly with the lure of a few treats!!! We have just received the finished plaque in the post ( we live in the New Forest) & it’s lovely. Definitely recommend.
    Hi Gilly Thanks so much for calling into the studio and creating a paw print of your golden Labrador. We love dogs in the studio and enjoy helping owners to get a great keepsake of their pets and holiday in Devon. Most of the dogs we work with are lovely just like yours! We're delighted to know that your plaque has arrived safely and thanks so much for your recommendation. We'd love to see you again next time you're in the area Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written July 30, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 24, 2023
  • Chris
    Bideford, United Kingdom99 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant Surprise Birthday Experience.
    If you're looking for something a little 'different' for a Birthday Surprise, then you won't get any better than Tarka Pottery. Located in 'Little Torrington' [just outside Great Torrington] North Devon, you will find a warm welcome, and a most relaxing couple of hours. Although, a little off the main road, it was easy to find and had plenty of parking. Becky was our instructor for the 2 hours session, we had booked in advance. It involved trowing a small pot on a wheel, and then decorating and shaping it, before enjoying the most relaxing part, the application of various coloured glazes. Don't hang around as the time flies. There were some examples around to take inspiration from, of you could just do your own thing. The pots are later fired and you have to return in 4 weeks, or so, and let's hope the 'Kiln Gods' have been kind. I can't think of any negatives, other than we had a couple of other friends who would have enjoyed the experience but were told [online] that the max' for each session is 6, although, when we arrived, there were only the 4 of us. Perhaps, if you experience this, then call and request a call back should anyone cancel. Thanks Becky for the most wonderful birthday surprise and relaxing afternoon.
    Hi Chris and Martin Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review after the Birthday Surprise last week! It was a pleasure to have you all in the studio and we're pleased to hear that you arrived to a warm welcome and enjoyed your couple of hours making pottery. It's surprising how quickly the time passes when you get into the zone of getting creative with clay, making shapes, and glazing your pot with lots of colours! Thanks for suggesting customers get in touch if they want to add more people to their group than the booking system suggests is available. We can often accommodate more, as with notice, we can plan staffing to enable this. I'll look to see if we can add this somewhere helpful on the booking system. Becky will be pleased to hear that you all enjoyed a wonderful birthday surprise. We hope you love your fired pottery - you'd be welcome back anytime. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written August 2, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Written July 31, 2023
  • Carol T
    Barnstaple, United Kingdom9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    can't wait to collect our creations
    very nice experience with lovely people, they were correct in saying it could get messy, well in my case anyway. can't wait for the month to be up so that we can collect our pots, and see what they turned out like. we are two people in our seventies, and the stools that you sit on at the wheels did get a bit hard, after a couple of hours. but then there's nothing they can do about that. all in all a great afternoon out.
    Hi Carol Thanks so much for your review following your visit to Tarka Pottery. I think you certainly did manage to prove us right with the 'could get messy' idea, but we think that can sometimes be part of the fun! When working with clay, it's great for any age and with your comment, Thanks for your feedback about the seats, I'll have a look and see if we could get some wipeable seat pads that would be suitable. We're so pleased that you had a great afternoon out and we hope you love your fired pots! Best wishes Jax, Lynne and Becky
    Written August 2, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Written August 1, 2023
  • Linda T
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pottery for all abilities
    The North Devon Life after Stroke group have visited Tarka Pottery a few times now and the participants love it! We are a group with mixed abilities and initially wondered whether all could participate particularly on the wheel when there is weakness or limited use of both hands. Jax and Becky were wonderful at including everyone, providing tools to encourage creativity as well as a warm welcoming smile. We plan to attend again next month.
    Hi Linda Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review for us after visiting with the North Devon Life after Stroke group. We enjoy the challenge of enabling everyone to create something with clay, whatever age or ability. It's our pleasure to see what a difference it can make to someone who feels that they might not be able, to someone who sees what they can create using a wheel or making creations by hand with clay. We're looking forward to seeing you all again in September. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written August 11, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 3, 2023
  • Scenic68067181227
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful place to visit
    What a gem of a place. My son and I spent a lovely couple of hours creating bowls on the potters wheel then decorating them. Lynn was a superb tutor who guided us through the process. A lovely, friendly and relaxed atmosphere where nothing was too much trouble, especially as we turned up a week early for our session! (My diary skills need some work) Looking forward to receiving our bowls in a couple of weeks to see the finished products.
    Thanks so much for visiting us with your son to enjoy a Potters Wheel Experience with your son, tutored by Lynne. We're so pleased that you found our studio to have a relaxed atmosphere and that we could accommodate you a week early! All of our team love what they do and enjoy sharing the fun and delight of clay with our customers. We hope you love your fired pottery when it arrives and hope that you can visit us again another time. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
    Written August 23, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 11, 2023
  • keith v
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great day at Tarka Pottery
    I was given the 'Throw/Hand build/Glaze day' package as a birthday present. I would highly recommend it to both complete beginners and those interested in honing their skills. The setting is beautiful (helped by the fact that the sun was shining!). The instructors were excellent and always on hand .. Patient, helpful and very forgiving of my various blunders. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. I had a great day and highly recommend it. Thanks to all concerned.
    Hi Keith We were delighted to have you here for your Day birthday present. It's great to hear that you found our atmosphere to be relaxed and friendly, the team all enjoy teaching and helping everyone have a great time and learn or improve their throwing and hand-building skills. It was lovely to see how much you achieved in just one day! We hope you get the chance to come back, and that you love your fired pottery. Best wishes Jax, Becky & Lynne
    Written September 10, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written September 6, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles271 reviews
Excellent
259
Very good
8
Average
0
Poor
3
Terrible
1

Emily S
Exeter, UK17 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Family
Went in October 2021 to paint baubles with my 3yr old daughter. My 2nd time visiting and it is a lovely activity. We had a lovely time whilst there. However my poor rating is in regards to the postage costs they charge. A strict £5 per item even if items can be packaged and posted together. So I ended up paying £20 for postage even though when my items arrived the actual cost of posting was £3.20. I didn't really want to post bad feedback and hoped I might be able to resolve with Tarka directly, but I got a ridiculous response stating that the postage cost I was charged included 'storage costs, staff time, training, car parking and queuing in the post office" Those costs should all be absorbed into the activity price that I paid (which was not cheap by any means) when I pay postage, I expect that to pay for my postage, not additional other business costs. Their response was completely unsatisfactory, and it has quite frankly annoyed me to the point that in future I will take my business elsewhere.
Written November 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review for us, we’re so pleased to hear that you enjoyed visiting and had a lovely time with your daughter. We were sorry to hear you found our packaging service was too expensive. To ensure customers know the costs before booking, these are clearly displayed before a booking can be made. I understood from the staff on the day that when you raised your concern, on this occasion a reduction was offered and agreed. At the time, you gave us no indication that you were unhappy with the negotiated discount. As we mentioned in our email, the Royal Mail cost is only one part of our p&p service, which includes packaging materials and time by an experienced member of staff. It's vital to us that customers’ fragile pottery arrives safely which is why we put so much care into this part of our service. As you say, our experiences aren’t low cost, so quality of service on the day and throughout the glazing, firing and packing service are of utmost importance to us. Best wishes Jax & the team
Written December 9, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

AndrewJ
Bideford, United Kingdom116 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
Brilliant first time ever learning to throw clay. We had an excellent afternoon at the potters wheel with Jax teaching us how to make pots....she is a very good teacher, explains the processes really clearly and simply. We really enjoyed ourselves and the afternoon flew by. Thank you Jax
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback. It's such a pleasure for us to hear that people have had a brilliant time with their first ever throwing experience! I love teaching throwing (and everything clay) and it's usually as much fun for me as the customers ;) It's rewarding to know that you found my instruction clear and simple to understand. Looking forward to seeing your fired pottery and to meeting you again. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & George
Written March 2, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Budebuddy
Cornwall, UK4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
What a lovely welcome from staff, nice warm atmosphere and made at ease straight away. Relaxing and mindful experience on being shown how to use the potters wheel. Great fun, and glazing one to keep.
Highly recommend a visit to all creatives and dip into clay, to express yourself.
Written October 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for leaving such a lovely review. It's our pleasure to welcome everyone into the studio and we hope that putting everyone at ease helps you to have a great, creative time when you're learning how to throw on a potter's wheel! We appreciate you recommending us and are so pleased you had a fun time at Tarka Pottery. Best wishes Jax and the team
Written October 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

suewA3893WX
Exeter, UK6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Great 2 days learning how to use a potters wheel & creating wonderful bowls. Small intimate pottery. My daughter and I had a tutor to ourselves. We used a potters wheel but also made rope pots & added decorations which we then left to be ‘fired’. Great introduction to pottery & thoroughly enjoyed the experience!
Written June 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks very much for leaving a 5* review following your visit. It was a pleasure to have you both in the studio and we're so pleased you enjoyed your visit. We look forward to seeing you again Jax, Lynne & George
Written July 1, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Terri-R-65
Whitstable, UK70 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
We booked this way back in May and weren’t disappointed.
Friendly greeting and made to feel very welcome !
A brilliant and absorbing afternoon with excellent tuition and coaching.
We were very pleased with the creation of our individual pots and had plenty of time to decorate and glaze.
We await the final product in the post in the next month or so x
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review for Tarka Pottery. We're so pleased that your experience started off with a friendly greeting, we enjoy meeting everyone who comes to the studio and it's important that visitors feel welcome. We're so pleased you had such a brilliant and absorbing afternoon and thanks for letting us know that our tuition and coaching is up to scratch. We hope that you love your finished pottery and look forward to welcoming you back another time. Best wishes Jax & the team
Written September 5, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MeeDee
Plymouth, United Kingdom11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
I have now taken 2 ten week courses with Jax and her team at Tarka Pottery and have just signed up for my 3rd course. I absolutely love pottery and am so thrilled with the items I am now starting to produce. The team are so helpful and knowledgeable and are more than willing to share their knowledge. It is great fun and something that anyone can try even if your work doesn’t turn out exactly as you thought it would. I would recommend Tarka Pottery for any sort of party, experience day or a longer course but be prepared to get hooked. I would also like to say a huge thanks to Jax, Lyn and Becky for their help and patience.
Written November 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Debby Thanks so much for leaving a review about how much you love pottery and learning so much in our classes. As a team, we all enjoy sharing our knowledge and enjoyment of clay with students of all ages and abilities. It is so much fun to work with such a variety of projects and to see how people develop their skills, and confidence and go on to create such incredible projects. We're constantly learned from what we see others make and achieve in the classes. Thank you for recommending us, it's really appreciated. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & Becky
Written December 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gina D
Barnsley, UK1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
Absolutely lovely pottery experience. We were both beginners but the instruction was very helpful and patient, and we both came away with something we're proud of. Really wonderful time, we will be back! Thank you so much to Jax and the team xxx
Written September 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a 5-star review. We love to teach newbies how to throw pots and its great to see how well most of our customers seem to do. We loved having you both in the studio and you should be proud of your lovely thrown pots! These are packed ready to post so look out for the postman soon. We hope to see you again next time you're in the area. Best wishes Jax, Lynne & George
Written October 13, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Twinmum4
Okehampton, UK4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
A wonderful mother/daughter experience - we thoroughly enjoyed our potters wheel experience. It was a great introduction for a 13yr old and a lovely way to spend time together. Jax and the team were very welcoming and gave great guidance and advice. We made our pots and then spent time decorating and painting them - using a vast range of tools and glazes. We can't wait to see how they turned out.

This is a lovely studio set in wonderful surroundings and made for a very relaxing experience. We will certainly be looking at booking another session.

Thank you so much
Written November 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for coming with your daughter for a potters wheel experience at Tarka Pottery. We're pleased to hear that you found our team welcoming and that we gave you great guidance and advice during your experience. We can't help ourselves when it comes to providing a vast range of colours and tools so that each individual can create a pot that they will love! We're lucky to have such wonderful surroundings and are always pleased to hear that the experience is relaxing and look forward to seeing you another time. Best wishes Jax & the team
Written November 17, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Paula S
Rochford, UK46 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Friends
Whilst on holiday nearby we booked up for the pottery taster session. Approx 30 mins on pottery wheel followed by an hour painting and decorating the pots we had made.
The 3 of us had a fabulous time. Everyone at Tarka Pottery was so friendly and welcoming. Our teacher was wonderful, really patient and obviously very experienced. As a result the 3 of us complete beginners were able to make a half way decent pot each.
Would highly recommend this experience we had so much fun and laughed alot!
Thanks to everyone at Tarka x
Written June 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for booking to come and enjoy a Throwing Taster with us. It's lovely to hear that you all enjoyed the experience and had such a fabulous time in our studio. It's great when customers say they had so much fun, having a go on the wheel should be laugh out loud - while you learn how to make your own pot on a wheel and get to decorate and paint it with glazes too! I'll make sure to pass on your lovely comments on to the team. Thanks again for your recommendation, we hope you love your fired pots when they arrive, and that you visit us again next time you're in North Devon. Best wishes Jax and the team
Written June 14, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Charlie R
Devon, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Friends
I got this as a birthday present as I had always wanted to try making pottery and this was the perfect experience to allow me to make and decorate my work. The staff were so lovely and helpful and I would 100% go back again and see what other courses they had to offer. I’m very pleased with the out come of my work!
Written September 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a 5* review after your experience at Tarka Pottery. We're delighted that you have the perfect birthday present and that you enjoyed making and decorating and are so pleased with your work! The team all enjoy helping customers to get creative and it's great to hear that it shows. I'll make sure to let them hear your comments. We would love to welcome you back and look forward to seeing you again another time. Best wishes Jax
Written September 11, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

…
Showing results 1-10 of 268
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Tarka Pottery - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Tarka Pottery

Tarka Pottery is open:
  • Wed - Sat 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM