ART & CRAFTS

Being isolated from the rest of England, Norfolk has developed plenty of small individual businesses, including art & craft centres making, exhibiting and selling pottery, pictures, candles and clocks.

In the heart of the Norfolk Broads is Wroxham Barns. Here you will find a working craft centre, where craftsmen demonstrate their skills in individual studios and you can chat to them as they work. Studios include stained glass, pottery, colourful children's clothes and real Norfolk cider! You can purchase a range of unique products exclusive to Wroxham Barns and many of the crafts people undertake private commissions. Wroxham Barns also contains a Junior Farm, a Children's Funfair as well as a country food shop and a lovely tearoom.

Alby Crafts near Aylsham has a number of resident craftspeople and is surrounded by four acres of carefully tended gardens and ponds. The attractive brick and flint Norfolk farm buildings also accommodate a gallery and gift shop, furniture showroom and tearooms.

Sutton Pottery is a small studio workshop, established by Malcolm Flatman in 1977. The working workshop can be found just outside the village of Sutton and is an easy walk from the Staithe. Alternatively, there is a small car park at the workshop. For more information see www.suttonpottery.com. Malcolm uses the Potter’s Wheel and the fire of a gas kiln to create a large range of “reduction” stoneware entirely by hand. He has developed an assortment of practical, repeatable, replaceable and affordable tableware and kitchenware in a wide variety of glaze colours which he blends himself in the interests of consistency. Malcolm also produces a multitude of more decorative pieces, including house name plates and other commissions, and some distinctive lamps. He also enjoys the challenge of making orders to customers’ own ideas. The pottery carries a distinctive “windmill” symbol.

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