Wild Pottery
Please enquire on 07798 672 422 for a proposal for your event
or send us a message below
Forage clay from the woodland floor and craft your own fired vessel — from model dolia to hand‑formed pots. Your team will shape, burnish and fire personalised pieces in simple woodland kilns, enjoying calm, creative time in ancient woodland.
About the event
Wild Pottery offers a deeply tactile, creative team experience rooted in the landscape itself. Using a unique method developed by Pam and Francis Gimblett, participants create and fire their own pottery within a single day, using clay gathered from beneath their feet and firing their vessels in small woodland kilns that can be easily recreated at home. Materials can even be taken away for those who wish to build their own kiln.
The format grew from a simple question asked during an Eastbourne pottery class: Could this be done in the woods as the Romans might have? Drawing on Francis’ wine knowledge, he began modelling dolia — ancient Roman fermentation vessels — and firing them using only clay, charcoal and fire. The desire to share this process led to a system that could be delivered as a half‑day or full‑day event.
The structure of the day reflects Pam and Francis’ 25 years of designing fun, interactive experiences that blend activity, information and humour. After a welcome drink, participants forage for clay, then follow Francis through the pot‑making process before decorating and firing their creations. The session also includes tile making and burnishing, offering a range of techniques that build confidence and creative expression.
As the event progresses, teams enjoy tastings of woodland cordials and shrubs and take part in additional seasonal woodland activities as time allows. Wild Pottery provides a rare opportunity for colleagues to slow down, work with natural materials, and return to work with renewed clarity — and a fired vessel that embodies the day’s shared experience.
Your objectives
Strategy: Use the structured making and firing process to explore focus, sequencing and adaptive thinking — a practical analogue for strategic clarity and disciplined execution.
Connection: Emphasise shared craft, collaborative problem‑solving and informal woodland time to strengthen rapport, trust and team cohesion.
Respite: Lean into the grounding rhythm of clay work and woodland firing to offer a restorative pause that reduces cognitive load and supports wellbeing.
Please enquire on 07798 672 422 for a proposal for your event or send us a message below
"Beyond 100% recommended! We were lucky enough to attend a wild pottery event and had a blissfully restorative day in Wild Weald's beautiful surroundings. Francis is incredibly knowledgeable (and very willing to share that knowledge) and both he and Pam were very welcoming - and provided delicious food on top of everything else! The day was low-pressure and adaptable to people's needs but still filled with lots of hands-on learning.
If you want a day immersing yourself in the history of the land and the crafts it's supported over the past 2000 years you couldn't do better than to head to Wild Weald. Much gratitude to Francis & Pam for making this available."