The County Hall Pottery team – joined by students, friends, and guest artists – embarked on a week-long wood-firing journey at the legendary Oxford Kilns in May. We pitched our tents in the rolling Oxfordshire countryside, surrounded by green fields, ancient trees, and the ever-present scent of smoke and clay. It was a week of learning and celebration, marking one year of County Hall Pottery with fire and friendship.
The trip also served as a prelude to our upcoming exhibition After Ash, which opens on Monday 7 July. Works created during this firing by guest artists, Ho Lai, Ian Macdonald, Fred Watkin and Toni de Jesus, will be featured in the show.
The Anagama
We were there to fire the Oxford Anagama – a traditional Japanese wood-fired kiln. The word anagama translates to “cave kiln,” and its form is true to the name: a single-chamber structure made from firebrick, arched and sloping, with a stoking area at the front and a chimney at the rear. This design draws air and flame powerfully through the chamber, generating intense, shifting heat and encouraging wood ash to settle and melt onto the surfaces of the pots.
As the temperature climbs and the firing progresses, ash fuses with clay, forming natural glazes that are entirely unrepeatable – flashes of orange, rivers of glass, soft crusts of crystalline ash. The process is equal parts science and serendipity. Every firing is a negotiation between fire and form.
This particular kiln has fired over 10,000 pots in its lifetime. To take part in one of its final firings before refurbishment in September felt like both an honour and a rite of passage – an initiation into a lineage of makers and fire keepers.
Tending the Fire – Teamwork at its Best
Before the firing could begin, there was plenty of preparation. We arrived on Monday, found our bearings, and unloaded everyone’s work onto long tables. Pieces were arranged by size, ready for Tuesday’s careful loading.
Firing began on Wednesday. We divided into rotating teams to share the labour: loading the kiln, stoking the fire, chopping wood, and preparing food. The firing ran non-stop for 65 hours, gradually pushing the temperature to 1250°C and holding it there. Bleary-eyed but determined, our teams fed the flames, tracked temperature shifts, and swapped stories by firelight. It wasn’t just a technical process – it was a shared act of endurance, trust, and quiet wonder.
Heather Gibson, our Potter-in-Residence, led the firing with masterful precision, supported by Millie Brokenbrow and Alice Wakefield teachers and production throwers from CHP. Robyn Wilson of Oxford Kilns remarked it was “the most comprehensively well-thought-out firing to date” – a testament to Heather’s calm command and weeks of careful planning.
Community
In addition to our team and guest artists, the community that formed around the fire included Penny, one of CHP’s steadfast friends and champions; Alice May, kiln-building student Syd Nencini and Pete Nencini who run our Wednesday workshops; and Elliot Denny, a past exhibitor at CHP whose stunning photographs from the week are as impressive as his ceramics.
Together, we turned potatoes to ash in the campfire, Director Alex sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” when the kiln needed a bit of divine encouragement, and we all shared clothes and blankets when the cold set in. Special thanks to Penny, who came to the rescue with extra blankets after a particularly frosty first night.
For half the team, it was their first-ever wood-firing. For all of us, it was unforgettable.
Looking Ahead – Irons in the Fire
This week felt like the beginning of something much bigger – a tradition in the making. We hope to return to the Oxford University Kilns each year, bringing with us students, artists, and new friends to share in the magic and mayhem of wood-fired ceramics.
To round off this special experience, we’re planning an evening of reflection with Oxford University Kilns regulars Ekta Bagri, Lisa Sjukur, and kiln founder Robyn Wilson – a conversation on stories, lessons, and life around the fire.
The work from this firing will feature in our July exhibition After Ash – carrying with them not just the beauty of flame and ash, but the spirit of shared effort, resilience, and unexpected joy.
To finish, when you spend a week tending fire with a circle of artists, led by the wise women of County Hall Pottery and creative hearts, something sacred begins to stir. Naturally, a kiln blessing followed.
Kiln Blessing
Written by Emma Payne,
Creative Director at County Hall Pottery
Oh mighty Kiln God, watcher of flames,
Dweller in brick and whisperer of names,
We call to you now with reverent breath,
Bless this chamber with fire, not death.
May your hunger be vast, but your temper be mild,
And may every vessel emerge as your child.
Like all great temples where fire is enshrined,
This kiln, sacred forge, with purpose aligned,
Requires not only bricks, ash, and air,
But one to lead with ceremonial flair.
As the Vatican welcomes a pope with a cheer,
We too crown a new priestess this year.
Let it be known from roof to floor,
That Heather reigns forevermore!
High Priestess of Flame, of Smoke, and Clay,
She will guide us through night and day.
With tongs as her scepter, and glaze as her crown,
She takes up the mantle and lays her fears down.
But lo! The kiln gods, old and wild,
Are not so easily beguiled.
Like all cantankerous gods and demons before,
They demand a sacrifice, a little bit more.
A soul unburned, a heart untried,
One yet to hear the kiln’s deep cry inside.
And in a vision, through ash and spark,
They pointed with fingers ancient and dark.
“Bring us the virgin,” they howled and hissed,
“And let their name not be missed!”
Syd, step forth, in glory and fright,
Tonight, you are our offering of light.
A kiln-firing virgin, brave and bold,
Soon to be part of legends told.
So now, united in our love of clay,
Of wheel and flame, of fire’s ballet,
We bear witness to this sacred rite,
Where priestess and sacrifice share the light.
Heather, High Priestess, Syd, chosen flame:
Come forth and speak the kiln god’s name.
Ignite the fire, as we now pray,
For luck, for strength, for pots that slay.
Oh most illustrious of kiln gods above,
Accept our offering, accept our love.
Let the firing begin, let the flames rise high,
With smoke like prayers curling into the sky!
A huge thanks to all of the individuals who joined us for this epic experience and our friends at Oxford Kilns for having us.
If you’d like to join us on our next firing in 2026, please get in touch at gallery@countyhallpottery.com to register your interest.