Errington Reay

Errington Reay has made pottery at Bardon Mill since 1878, when Robert Errington and William Reay opened a works in a former water-powered woollen mill. The company is the last commercial pottery in Britain still producing salt-glazed ware, a finish achieved by throwing salt into the kiln during firing so it vaporises and bonds with the clay surface. Production shifted from clay drainage pipes to garden pots during the 1970s, once plastic pipe took over the drainage trade. Pots are still hand-thrown on site rather than cast or extruded. The works run free tours past the kiln for visitors, and the factory shop sells seconds at a discount. The site sits off the A69 between Hexham and Haltwhistle, close to Hadrian's Wall.