Anna StilesPottery

Anna Stiles teaches pottery from her workshop at Higher Clatcombe Farmhouse, outside Sherborne, working at the same wheel her mother taught her to use fifty years ago. She has thrown pottery since the age of five and now takes students ranging from five years old to nearly ninety, working across four electric wheels in a converted farm building. Lessons cover hand-building and glazing rather than wheel-throwing alone, and Stiles also takes commissions for custom cremation urns, including a build-your-own service for families wanting to shape their own. Vouchers are sold in tiers, from a single taster session to a three-class package, and she speaks openly about pottery as a tool for managing stress and grief. Stiles also trained as a civil celebrant and now leads ceremonies alongside her teaching.