A Potted History of Whichford Pottery
A Family Business Since 1976
Jim Keeling met Dominique whilst both students at Cambridge University. After graduating with a degree in Archaeology and History, Jim completed an apprenticeship at Wrecclesham Pottery in Farnham, Surrey, learning skills rooted in the English Country Pottery tradition. In 1976, Jim & Dominique established Whichford Pottery with the aim of keeping traditional English flowerpot making alive.
1979 — Whichford Pottery started supplying the Royal Horticultural Society and has been supplying them ever since.
1981 — Jim & Dominique’s eldest son, Adam, started pottery early! Here (above) he is having one of his first pottery lessons from Jim’s first apprentice, Andy Gill. Adam now leads the team here at the Pottery.
1983 — The Pottery started exhibiting at RHS Chelsea Flower Show (right), winning many top awards over 26 years of showing and making many friends along the way.
1985 — Jim was awarded the Churchill Fellowship to study French and Italian traditonal potteries, learning many techniques used at Whichford today.
1986 — Whichford Pottery is launched into worldwide fame following a feature in The Sunday Telegraph.
1986 — Whichford was awarded Country Living Rural Business of the Year, presented by Diana, Princess of Wales.
1989 — Jim designed the Ham House Urn for Ham House & Garden. Since then, the Pottery have either replicated old designs or designed new flowerpots for many National Trust properties, including Hidcote Manor, Charlecote Park and Stourhead. The Ham House Urn features in the Whichford Pottery logo.
1990 — Jim’s first book, The Terracotta Gardener, was published.
1990 - Whichford Pottery started regularly exporting pots to Japan
1992 — Jim & Dominique’s youngest children, Maia, Theodora and Columba, were photographed at the Pottery for an article in You magazine.
1998 — Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II photographed at the Whichford Pottery stand at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
1999 — Whichford Pottery became the first Royal Horticultural Society licensee and we have now designed over thirty best-selling flowerpots for them.
2000 — Jim & Dominique’s eldest son, Adam, joined the business and is now a Director and Master Thrower.
2004 — Jim’s second book, Flowerpots, was published.
2007 — Whilst unable to throw due to a broken arm, Adam Keeling won Defra funding for the building of our gallery, The Octagon. This added a beautiful building to the site whilst also giving a unique opportunity to support and exhibit top British ceramicists and artists.
2014 — Jim & Dominique’s youngest daughter, Theodroa, joined the business. She is now a Director and Head of Sales & Marketing.
2014 — Jim & Dominique’s eldest daughter, Maia, and her partner Christine, built The Straw Kitchen café at the Pottery.
2014 — Jim’s book “Container Gardening with Whichford” was published in Japan.
2014 — Adam was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore workshop based training and apprenticeships in America and Japan, further strengthening the training programme at Whichford.
2014 — Whichford Pottery was commissioned to make 97,500 ceramic poppies for the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red installation at The Tower of London.
2019 — These late 17th century French-style planters (right) were proudly waved off to their new home in the USA. The quality of our clay and our team’s unrivalled skill, means we are often asked to make complex pieces for Turner Prize winning artists, world-class design firms, private clients and national institutions like the National Trust.
2020 — Whichford Pottery won West Midland’s Family Business of the Year by the Federation of Small Businesses.
2021 — Whichford Pottery was featured on BBC Countryfile where Adam Henson tried his hand at throwing.
2022 — Adam Keeling was invited to be a judge on The Great Pottery Throw Down.
2024 — The Kiln Shed at the Pottery was built. Whichford Kiln Shed is a dedicated space for Skills Workshops & Courses born from our belief that teaching traditional techniques is paramount to keeping our craft alive.
2025 — Adam Keeling was featured in Ceramic Review sharing a Masterclass on throwing pots.
2025 — Jim, Adam and the team completed the build of our Woodfired Kiln which is a seven metre long anagama-style single chamber kiln.
2026 — Whichford Pottery celebrates 50 years of flowerpot making in Warwickshire.
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