Pat Groom was apprenticed at Winchcombe Pottery in 1947 but only worked there until 1954, giving a narrow date range for this dish.

Winchcombe Pottery followed the style of traditional Gloucester pottery, with earthy slip glazes and simple utilitarian designs. The pottery was founded in 1926 by Michael Cardew, a student of Bernard Leach. With the help of local expertise, he restored the antiquated bottle kiln pictured in these images and used it to revive the area’s folk pottery industry. He employed and trained local craftsmen who had worked the kiln in the past, before himself moving on to another pottery and selling the business to one of his students, Ray Winch. Winch employed local craftsman Pat Groom. Groom’s relatively short time at the pottery makes this a rare piece.

The dish is made of the characteristic red earthenware clays of Devon and Somerset. Local clay proved too rough and prone to exploding in the kiln. The dish is decorated with a creamy slip, a red-brown continuous wavy line and a crenelated rim.

This is a fine piece of early British studio pottery. See images for the very kiln it was fired in, dating to the early 1800s.

The dish measures approximately 13.5cm x 9.5cm x 3.2cm high. Patrick Groom’s personal seal to the foot, see detail photograph. Stamped P G and the WP stamp of Winchcombe Pottery.

The condition is excellent with no damage or repairs.