Hornsea Pottery

Hornsea Pottery was a business located in the seaside town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Hornsea is associated primarily with small ornaments that have cute little animals, like rabbits, squirrels or fawns attached. These 'Fauna' ranges seem to be everywhere, and most families will have a few pieces between them. The one pictured is to be found at my mum's house.

The pottery was founded in 1949 in a small terraced house by brothers Colin and Desmond Rawson with initial funding from a friend and local business man, Philip Clappison. The factory's earliest pieces were mostly designed by Colin Rawson, these included Character Jugs and posy vases with attached animal figures. Their products sold well and they moved to larger premises and took on their first employee in 1950.

The company traded in an era of great innovation and their early work was manufactured on low budgets and used low tech methods. This has given these pieces a unique quality that is unmatched by modern hi-tech machinery.

During the half-century of production, the diversity of lines was immense and some were made only in small numbers and as a result, these pieces can be expensive. 

Vases and other similar ornaments for display are greatly sought after and it is becoming difficult to assemble a complete set of many of these ranges.

As with most other potteries, Hornsea made many commemorative items to celebrate an occasion or event, but these tend to ebb and flow in popularity. 

Some of the pieces must have been made in millions as they still turn up almost every day in every shop and stall across the country. Others though, are highly sought after and quite hard to find with the inevitable effect on prices. Expect to pay between £1 and £150 for a piece of fauna. Most of the Fauna pieces are characterised by the addition of one or more small animals such as fawns, rabbits, squirrels and woodland themes of tree-trunks and acorns.

Maker: Hornsea.   Period: 1960-67

Printed in black. Fauna Royal range. 1960 - 1967

Printed. With or without 'Made in' C. 1956 - 1962

Withernsea Pottery

A piece of pottery at my mum's house.

This medium-sized jug is in the form of a brown tree-trunk with a swathe of large green leaves across the upper portion and arching down to the base to provide the jug handle. One large prominent knot feature in the trunk is highlighted with yellow. Added to the right side on a basal plinth is a large fawn in a seated pose. The fawn is reddish-brown in colour with a white face. The stencilled eyes are black.

Once very much the poor relation of its grander stablemate at Hornsea, the products from Eastgate are now becoming sought after in their own right. Amongst the cheaper mass production of souvenirs, there have been rarer pieces of high quality.

As with Hornsea, the quantity of different items produced was vast. 

This is the back stamp on the fawn pottery.

The numerous different backstamps used provide lots of useful information about the age of the piece, and sometimes the name of the range, the designer or the factory of manufacture. This information can greatly assist in the identification of the item and provide some history.

Mark ref: E1

Maker: Eastgate.   Period: Early

Printed. Appears on most early pieces pre 1967. Can also be found on some later items

Mark ref: E2

Maker: Eastgate.   Period: 1967-

Printed. The Withernsea lighthouse mark superseded the Gate from this time on items large enough to accept the stamp.