Bill is a potter with an interest in Black Burnished Ware Pottery - Dorset, where Bill lives, was the centre of production of this type of "Celtic" pottery.

Bill's Pottery Studio is located opposite his home at
40 Elwell St, Upwey, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 5QF United Kingdom
Home phone & FAX number 01305 812030
Electronic mail address :- bill@upweypotters.com

In the last few years Bill has been researching the local Celtic Iron Age technique known as Black Burnished Ware. He is making replica pieces and also developing an interpretation producing contemporary pieces inspired by his investigations. The images on this page are a sample of Bill's work.

The images will take a while to load, but there is plenty to read meanwhile!

As part of RAFT, a local co-operative of visual artists, Bill's work is on display at the Mokton Gallery at Winterborne Monkton, just south of Maiden Castle hillfort. The gallery is open Easter to Christmas at weekends. There is a collection of various work, much of it inspired by Maiden Castle. The six artists involved will be doing regular demonstrations. (check with RAFT to see when Bill is on stewarding duty)
Follow this link to the RAFT website to find out more.

Brief overview of "Black Burnished Ware"
Much of the pottery made in Dorset during the Roman period is of the type known as (BB1). This was produced around Poole Harbour by long established native potteries of the later Iron Age, using local clays and traditional techniques and production methods. After AD43 these potteries began to produce new styles for the growing Roman markets. First for the Roman Army an then for the new civilian towns and settlements. These Romano-British potteries continued to produce BB1 to the 5th century AD. An industry that had been continuous for over 500 years. The best preserved late Iron Age examples are from burials, part of the grave goods for the use of the departed soul. Fine examples are bowls from the "War Cemetery" at Maiden Castle hillfort. The Portesham "Mirror" burial contained two vessels. BB1 was made on an industrial scale in the Poole Harbour area because there were excellent clay seams together with fuel, water supplies and a safe harbour. It is probable that local produce such as fish and salt was packaged in pots for distribution to major markets such as the town of Durnovaria at Dorchester where hundreds of thousands of fragments have been found in excavations. BB1 was made for functional domestic use, for storage, preparation and serving of foodstuffs. There is little evidence of it being used for cooking. Most BB1 was made by hand using coils of clay, later pots were thrown using simple wheels. The gradually changing styles can be recognised reasonably accurately, which often helps to date the deposit they are found with.

The Dorset County Museum at Dorchester displays many fine examples of these pots. They also boast a stock of Bill's reproductions on sale in their shop. In February 2004 Bill co-presented an evening lecture there on the project at Bestwalls and work with Bronze Age pottery, images from that evening are posted on this link. Many thanks are due to Peter Woodward for his enthusiastic support and advice.

The Rockborne Roman Villa also holds a collection of Bill's Reproductions.

Images from Corfe Castle. The National Trust have invited Bill to several weekend activities. The pots have rarely been displayed in such splendid locations. The simple brick box was built to smoke the small bowls and vases, they had been previously biscuit fired and were packed in layers of wood-shavings and peat and charcoal and fired by lighting a fire on top and then putting on a lid. The results can be seen before unloading.
The pots below were spread out on display, note some have a coating of slip with extra Iron oxide.