Obscuria

Laura Brownsteele sold her ceramics through Etsy and craft markets while working part-time before she and her husband Steven opened Obscuria on Market Street on 28 December 2023. The front of the shop stocks handmade homeware, leatherwork, candles and jewellery from small producers, while the working studio at the back runs six-week pottery courses for beginners and a Friday evening Pot & Pint session pairing wheel-throwing with a drink. A pottery club gives more experienced makers access to studio space and equipment outside class times. The Brownsteeles also run a separate homeware shop, Lore, across the road on the same street. Obscuria sits opposite the Heart of Northumberland pub in Hexham's town centre.