Chris Otway, The Shere Potter, Surrey

I wonder if anyone else has heard of Chris Otway, aka 'The Shere Potter'? When I went to Durham University in 1978 I took with me a stoneware teapot and matching sugar bowl by this potter. Both items were broken long ago but in typical geek-mode I kept some fragments with the stamp on and a photo of the sugar bowl in use (sadly the teapot is hidden by a fetching tea cosy). I did a bit of online research in 2009 and found a reference to him in a 1977 article in Surrey Life vol 5:1 but haven't yet got hold of a copy. I'd love to know if anyone else has items by him (or her) and if you know anything about their history.

Funnily enough just emptying some more boxes of my mothers and found this. Don't know anything about the potter though sorry

How lovely! Does it have the same mark?

Yes exactly the same

I know Shere in Surrey, as it is somewhere that I pass through from time to time, but can't ever recall seeing a pottery there.

The 1970s was probably one of the best times for making a living out of studio pottery so not surprising that there is no sign of such goings on these days.

Thank you SP

Hi, I have loads of this pottery from my mother-in-law, who lived in the area at the time.
Cheers Diana

Great! Any chance of a few photos? Do you know anything about the history of the potter and his pottery?

Chris had his pottery by the stream in shere and he sold his work in the square. He was there for about 10 years.

do you own any of his pottery? I'm assuming you are a relative?

Yes I was his wife.
He trained as a teacher in Chichester and went to work in London, but only for a short time. He moved up to Swaledale to work for another potter. Not sure of his name. This was all before I met him.
He started his pottery in Shere around 1975 and we married in1976. We had 3 children and in 1984 he had all sorts of problems health wise and we moved to a pub near Midhurst called the Potter and Vine now known as The Bluebell. He died 13 years ago of cancer.

Welcome to the forum. It's lovely to have some biographical information about the potters who's work we collect.

I second that, lovely to add information to my archives. I wonder who the Swaledale potter was, not sure how long the Garden Pottery has been in Reeth

I've tried to contact Jan Otway to get some advice on setting up a pottery in Shere but have not had any replies to my emails this last year. Anbody know where she is?

Anybody have any thoughts on a pottery in shere?

I went to see the curator at the Shere Musuem yesterday. They had a very poor piece that they attributed to Chris but definitely was not his work, it was too amateurish. However I did speak to the grocer on the square who remembered Chris (and the white clogs at his wedding) and they happened to have a pot of his, which they use for general stationery. It was for the local hunt in 1981. I recommended one day they should donate it to the museum. Anybody else that has a pot by Chris, can you donate it to the museum (please) by getting in touch with the curator? http://www.sheremuseum.co.uk/

Here are a few pics from the day including the old pottery (you have to guess to see which one it is) https://www.dropbox.com/sh/747jpha7hnhmc7w/AAAGlR8s4z5_ysLX8nK6cZ85a?dl=0

Good idea, Alex. If I ever come across one the museum will have first choice.

A couple of small mugs to add to the library








A think the quality of these mugs speaks for themselves

I've just read through this thread and I have had a small cabinet vase (4.5 inch tall) made by Chris Otway on my shelf for a while, I don't know if it's worked but I've tried to contact the Museum to see if I can donate it.

Set of six unmarked goblets with the distinctive dipped glaze used by Shere Pottery