Upland Clay

Upland Clay is the pottery studio of Alicja Zasucha, a full-time ceramic artist based at Unit 2, Crofton Workshops, Thursby, a few miles west of Carlisle. She moved her wheel-throwing classes to the purpose-built studio at Crofton Hall in 2022, fitting it with multiple potter's wheels and several kilns; the studio welcomed close to 400 students through its courses in 2024. Zasucha works mainly in high-fired stoneware, developing her own glazes from raw materials, and also produces a smaller range in porcelain. She has drawn on a wild clay deposit she found near her home in Cumbria since 2020, and her forms take cues from the fells and disused industrial buildings of Cumbria and Scotland. Courses run for beginners through to advanced potters and are booked through the studio's website in advance of each date.