Terms and conditions
Welcome to The Pottery Chew Valley
At The Pottery Chew Valley, we’re passionate about creating a warm, welcoming space where creativity thrives and friendships grow. While our heart is in clay, community, and creativity, a little structure helps everything run smoothly.
Please take a moment to read through our Terms and Conditions before booking. By enrolling, purchasing a voucher, paying a deposit, or completing a booking, you agree to these terms.
Website & Cookies
Our website, thepotterychewvalley.co.uk, uses cookies to enhance your experience. Some cookies are essential, while others help us improve and personalise your visit. By continuing to use the site, you consent to the use of these cookies.
Payments & Bookings
All classes, courses, and gift cards must be paid in full at the time of booking.
Workshop places are released on the dates shown on our website.
Current participants are given priority booking for one week before public release.
To avoid disappointment, we recommend booking early — we’re unable to hold places in advance.
Cancellations, Substitutions & Missed Sessions
All course and workshop fees are non-refundable.
If you’re unable to attend, you may send a substitute participant for a £40 administration fee, payable on the first night of attendance.
We understand that illness or emergencies sometimes happen, and we’ll always do our best to offer a make-up session where space allows — though this cannot be guaranteed.
Absences due to holidays, appointments, or personal commitments cannot be rearranged or refunded.
By booking, you confirm that you understand and accept these conditions.
Studio Closure or Disruption
If we’re unable to run a session due to circumstances beyond our control (such as severe weather or public health restrictions), refunds cannot be offered, but we’ll always do our best to find a fair solution.
Occasionally, maintenance or technical issues may delay the availability of finished work. We’ll keep you informed if this occurs.
Pottery is typically ready for collection around two weeks after the final session, though this may vary.
Course Content & Changes
We occasionally adjust course content, timing, venue, or tutors to ensure the best experience.
If we need to cancel a session due to low bookings, you’ll be offered a transfer or full refund as soon as possible.
Health & Safety
Your wellbeing is our priority. Pottery studios naturally involve some risks (tools, dust, high temperatures), so we ask all participants to follow these guidelines:
Only use stoneware clay provided by us.
Always clean your work area before leaving.
No food in the studio.
No smoking or vaping on site.
Sanding pots must be done in the designated area using wet sanding and a mask.
Glazes
We provide a selection of brush-on and dipping glazes. While we offer a range of colours and finishes, we can’t cater for every specific request.
If you wish to bring your own stoneware glaze (cone 6 or lower), please bring it in its original packaging, test it on a tile first, and provide a kiln cookie to protect our shelves.
Re-glazing is only permitted if there was a fault during firing. If you wish to re-glaze for any other reason, an additional fee will apply to cover materials and kiln space.
Making Process & Fairness
We encourage quality over quantity. Most participants complete:
Around 6–8 smaller pieces per term, or
1 larger piece plus 4–6 smaller pieces.
To keep things fair:
If you create more than 8 pieces, you’ll be asked to choose which to fire.
We only fire work made during our classes.
Wheel-throwers are encouraged to refine and keep their best pieces.
Pottery cannot be carried over into a new term.
There’s plenty of time to finish your work within your course, but if you need extra time, this may be arranged case-by-case with an additional fee.
Technical Issues & Breakages
Ceramics can be unpredictable. Despite our best care, pieces may crack, glaze unexpectedly, or break during firing. We cannot accept responsibility for these outcomes.
Collecting Your Work
Course work is usually ready ~2 weeks after the final session.
Taster session work is usually ready ~4 weeks after the session.
Please collect all work within 6 weeks — due to limited storage, uncollected pieces may be disposed of after this time.
We can post work upon request, but cannot accept liability for any damage in transit.
Arrivals & Studio Etiquette
Doors open a few minutes before class — please avoid arriving more than 10 minutes early.
Respect shared spaces and your fellow potters’ work.
Bring an apron, towel, tea towel, plastic cover, and wear closed-toe shoes.
Everyone is responsible for cleaning their area and tools — the final 20 minutes of each class are for tidying up.
Personal Tools
We recommend bringing your own pottery tool kit, clearly labelled with your name.
We’re unable to store personal tools between sessions.
Photos & Videos
We love sharing the creativity that happens in our studio! With your permission, we may photograph or film you and your work for our website, social media, or printed materials.
If you’d prefer not to appear in photos, just let us know at any time.
Updates to Our Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued participation means you accept the most recent version.
Contact Us
The Pottery Chew Valley
📧 info@thepotterychewvalley.co.uk
🌐 www.thepotterychewvalley.co.uk