Leach Pottery

Top choice in St Ives


While other St Ives artists broke new ground in sculpture and abstract art, potter Bernard Leach was hard at work reinventing British ceramics in his studio in Higher Stennack. Drawing inspiration from Japanese and oriental sculpture, and using a unique hand-built 'climbing' kiln based on ones he had seen in Japan, Leach's pottery created a unique fusion of Western and Eastern ideas.

His former studio displays examples of his work, and has been enhanced by a new museum and working pottery studio. The shop contains work by contemporary potters, as well as souvenirs from the Leach tableware range.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby St Ives attractions

1. St Ia Church

0.67 MILES

At the top of Tregenna Hill, St Ives' parish church dates in part from the 15th century.

2. Barbara Hepworth Museum

0.73 MILES

Barbara Hepworth (1903–75) was one of the leading abstract sculptors of the 20th century and a key figure in the St Ives art scene. Her studio on Barnoon…

3. Tate St Ives

0.77 MILES

After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…

4. Porthminster Beach

0.8 MILES

The most impressive of the town beaches, with an attractive arc of soft golden sand that's usually sheltered from the wind by the cliffs. It inevitably…

5. Porthmeor Beach

0.81 MILES

Stretched out beneath Tate St Ives is the sandy beach of Porthmeor, a good choice for swimmers and novice surfers thanks to its gentle swells. There's a…

6. St Ives Society of Artists

0.86 MILES

One of the town's oldest and most influential art collectives, founded in 1929, this gallery is housed inside a converted church on Norway Sq, with a…

7. Chapel of St Nicholas

1.06 MILES

On the grassy promontory known as the Island, between Porthmeor and Porthminster, is the tiny pre-14th-century Chapel of St Nicholas, patron saint of…

8. Porthgwidden Beach

1.08 MILES

Tucked under the grassy headland known as the Island is the little cove of Porthgwidden, a pleasant picnic spot and a handy paddling spot for the little …