1950/60's Milton Head Pottery, Brixham

MILTON HEAD POTTERY
Milton Head Pottery Co. Ltd.  1950-1959  – The Old Pound House, Milton Street, Brixham.

The pottery was originally a farmhouse with the Milton Head Pottery building being one of the outbuildings. This pottery was started by 3 partners in 1950. They were Peter Draper the artist and designer, better known later for his writing for TV and films. Sidney Higgins whose family owned brickfields was responsible for the pottery kiln firing and Frank Middlebrook an ex-serviceman and the pottery thrower.

Initially the pottery made was all hand thrown and slip decorated, but later some was jollied or slip cast after the manager Patrick Stroud had mastered mould making, but the pottery so made remained slip decorated. A strong selling line at that time was in drinking mugs and tankards or steins as they called them. Mike Skipworth gained experience at the Milton Head Pottery after leaving University. It was at Milton Head that he learnt the wax resist technique that became much used at his Lotus Pottery.

There was in Brixham a shop of contemporary design called Oasis at 15 King Street, that sold ceramics made in association with the Milton Head pottery.

The Milton Head Pottery was sold to George Jackram the owner of a nearby business about 1959 and he renamed it The Brixham Pottery and produced pottery on the same site.

Milton Head used two different marks and for more information on the many other Devon and West Country pottery marks see details of the Torquay Pottery Mark Book on our Books page.