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Bill Crumbleholme is a tall bearded potter who likes ancient wares.
He is a founding member of the Upwey Potters.
More information about his "Beaker Folk" pottery can be found at www.beakerfolk.co.uk
Bill runs classes and workshops - see the link on the left - but these have a very long awaiting list.
Bill is active with the Ancient Wessex Network the website for that is www.ancientwessex.net where details of events where he runs beaker making workshops can be found.
Some of Bill's more enthusiastic pottery class students have started working and trading together as the Ridgeway Potters Collective, they appear at events such as farmers' markets attempting to sell their pots. They even have a website!
Bill is famous for making replicas of prehistoric pottery, these were made during a project in 2024 firing Black Burnished Ware with Wessex Archaeology at the Moors at Arne , part of which appeared in Digging For Britain on BBC TV in January 2025.
In 2022 Bill was commissioned to make a set of replica prehistoric pots for Bournemouth University's archaeology department students to handle and learn from.
Bill's previous most famous project was making ancient pottery replicas for the Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre.
These are Bill's take on "Moon Jars", globe shaped thrown vessels, with narrow foot ring bases and small holes in the top.
These were made using balls of 4 different types of stoneware clay, blended in quadrants, so that when thrown on the wheel the colours and textures form swirling spirals.
These are some of Bill's jugs and "Costrels", ready to be fired in the Wood fired kiln built by Bill & Laurence.
Bill is happiest when sitting at his wheel, in this case his old kick wheel that he learnt on many decades ago!
Bill's Raku pots on display at the Dorset Art Fair at Kingston Maurward. Spot the archetypal urn shape likeness!
Photo by Kim MacKeown, who happened to be passing.
A trio of "mortaria" - functional bowls inspired by Romano-British grinding and serving platters.
A beaker, wood fired by Bill, inspired by the Bronze Age Drinking vessels. This is one of Bill's most popular lines, they are very simple yet attractive shapes, with some interesting surface texture and tones.
Bill unloading the wood fired kiln
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