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Close-up of hands shaping white ceramic clay on a pottery wheel.
Close-up of green and yellow maple leaves and small purple flowers on vine against white background.
A blurred image of Paul Riley standing in front of an abstract black ink painting on a white wall.
Aerial view of the River Dart flowing through lush green fields and farmland at sunset with a partially cloudy sky.
Josephine Birch working in the Printworkshop at Coombe Farm Studios, standing at a wooden workbench with art supplies and papers, surrounded by shelves, jars, and tools, in a rustic room with large windows.
Sunlit green and purple leaves in a dark forest, with small plants and fern-like foliage.
A group of people participating in a pottery class at Coombe Farm Studios, working on their own clay projects at workbenches in a cozy workshop.
Close-up of green fern leaves with detailed fronds and a blurred background.
Paul Riley master watercolorist working on a painting in the studio at Coombe Farm Studios filled with art supplies and paintings on the wall.
Close-up of white flowering tree blossom with dark leaves in warm lighting.
Person wearing gloves and apron working on a craft project at a table near a window.
Close-up of colorful small flowers in pink, purple, white, and yellow with a blurred background.
Laurel Keeley shaping pottery on a spinning wheel at Coombe Farm Studios holding a sponge in their right hand, using their fingers to smooth clay.
Close-up of intertwined dry vines and small leaves against a blurry sky background.
A white ceramic cup holding various paintbrushes on a white table in an art studio.
A person walking on a path under blooming cherry blossom trees with sunlight filtering through the flowers on a bright spring day.
Close-up of a watercolor palette with various colors including green, blue, red, yellow, and black, with mixed and smeared paint.
A scenic countryside landscape during sunset, featuring rolling fields and trees with a colorful pastel sky.
Laurel Keleey holding a piece of clay, ready to throw on the wheel in the potter studio at Coombe Farm Studios.
Aerial view of the River Dart with small sailboats, surrounded by green fields, forests, and looking out to sea towards Dartmouth, at sunset with pink and orange sky.
Close-up of stacked metallic rings, focusing on their shiny, textured edges.
Close-up of a collection of wooden easels,, arranged vertically in a black and white photograph in the studio at Coombe Farm Studios.
A collection of various paintbrushes, some with paint on bristles, arranged in a container.
A wooden staircase with vertical railing spindles, showing sunlight filtering through the gaps, creating shadows on the steps and wall at Coombe Farm Studios.
Josepine Birch sitting on the grass in a dense forest, surrounded by large green leaves, looking contemplatively into the distance.
A rustic wooden barn with a weather vane on the roof, surrounded by greenery and trees, at sunset.

Grow Your Creativity

A place for you to learn, research, rehearse & make. We focus on mastering skills and developing your creative practice through courses, memberships, apprenticeships & residencies.

A table with various craft materials, sketches, and colorful floral arrangements, with people engaging in creative activities.

Immersive Courses

Time to get away, get inspired and get connected. Course over 3, 4 or 5 days.

Schedule
“The teaching was relaxed, informative and supportive but also encouraged you to develop and have confidence in your own style. It’s a quiet haven, a place to fully immerse yourself in being creative and relax completely.”
— Sarah - Course participant.
People practicing pottery in a ceramics studio with pottery wheels, clay, and pottery tools on tables.

Weekly Classes

Regular weekly daytime and evening classes in printmaking and pottery.

Schedule

“I will certainly recommend that visitors take the residential option, because for the small increase in price it turns a learning experience into a life experience.”

— David, Course participant

“It was altogether a joyful and creative week.” 

— Sue, Course Participant

“From the gloriously tranquil setting to the fabulous teaching and amazing talent of the tutor and not forgetting Elise’s wonderfully scrumptious food - and all seamlessly organised. I enjoyed the whole immersive experience from beginning to end”.

— Catherine, Course Participant

“I had such a brilliant morning this morning. I learnt so much from Alys in just one session, I’m really excited about the rest of the term”

— Marina, Weeky course participant

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

 FAQs

  • Each course should have it’s own waiting list to join and you can join our mailing list here

  • All our course have a specific section giving you details of the level of skill or experience needed for that course. If you’re still unsure just give us a call and we can talk you through it.

  • We have humble onsite accommodation with shared bathrooms facilities (we don’t have any ensuite rooms) you do not have to share a bedroom unless you wish to do so. For full details of our residential facilities see here.

  • See location below but essentially we are located in South West England, the nearest train station is TOTNES, from there you’ll need to get a taxi or lift share which we can help you co-ordinate, taxis are approx £35 each way.

    If you drive we have free onsite parking.

    There is no public transport to/from Coombe.

  • Yes give us a ring on 01803 722 352

  • Not at all, we’re really used to dealing with lots of different requirements and allergies, there’s a section where you can tell us your requirements when you book.

  • If you cancel your course.

    All deposits/1st payments and balance payments are non refundable and non transferable, we’re so sorry we’re just a teeny tiny business and can’t manage the admin or loss of business any other way, so we strongly recommend you take out adequate travel/holiday insurance when booking.

    If we cancel or postpone the course

    You will be offered the choice of alternative dates or a full refund.

    For more information see on course info.

  • At the moment we don’t have a self service ‘manage my booking’ function, so just email us and we can cancel or amend as required.

  • Yes of course just email us and tell us that you’re transferring it and give us their details.

  • Yes, ship/send to

    YOURNAME/COURSENAME

    C/o Lara Lloyd

    Coombe Farm Studios, Dittisham, Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 0JA.

    Please advise us that you are sending the materials and expected arrival date so we can find them and ensure they are in the studio for you when you arrive.

  • General suppliers

    Jackson’s Art

    Cornellissen & Son

    Cass Art

    Artway

    Pottery/Ceramics

    Bath Potters

    Scarva

    Potclays

    Printmaking

    Intaglio Printmaker

    Handprinted

THE GIFT EDIT

VOUCHERS

  • Give the gift of a course with a voucher and let them decide which course they want to join. see here for all vouchers.

  • We have books in our shop to inspire them see here.

  • Courses from Glazing to how to set up your pottery studio to weekly classes or immersive hand building, choose a pottery course here and just tell us its a gift in the access requirements and fill out the recipients details.

    See here

    If you want something smaller choose a book from books to inspire them.

  • We have lots of excellent painting courses for all abilities, give them the gift of creative immersive time on one of our courses. When you book just say it’s a gift in the access requirements and fill out their details in the form.

    See here

  • We highly recommend Meredith Owen’s painting course, it’s suitable for all abilities and is all about absorbed creativity and connection with the natural world. See here

LOCATION

Nearest Train Station
Totnes

Nearest Airport
Exeter

Parking
Onsite, free.

Dittisham, Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 0JA

 
COURSES
CERAMICS - ADAM FREW - 5 Day Porcelain Throwing Course - SOLD OUT < Join Waitlist >
Jun 28
CERAMICS - ADAM FREW - 5 Day Porcelain Throwing Course - SOLD OUT < Join Waitlist >

Adam is a highly accomplished potter that makes clean, simple forms on wheel. Based in rural Northern Ireland Adam works in porcelain, creating thrown functional and large one-off pots and we are delighted that Adam is returning to Coombe for a third year to teach this fantastic course.

PAINTING &amp; DRAWING FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS - Immersive 5 Day course.
Jul 5
PAINTING & DRAWING FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS - Immersive 5 Day course.

This inspiring and enjoyable drawing & painting course for beginners is for people who have always wanted to draw and paint but just don’t know where to start or want to develop their work.

If you are familiar with the fear of the blank page, have the feeling that you can’t draw, or you want to expand your skills, this course is suitable for you.

PAINTING &amp; DRAWING - FRANCINE &amp; SUSI - INTERMEDIATE COURSE FOR IMPROVERS
Jul 12
PAINTING & DRAWING - FRANCINE & SUSI - INTERMEDIATE COURSE FOR IMPROVERS

This inspiring and enjoyable drawing & painting course for improvers is for those that have taken part in beginners courses and want to progress their work.

Francine Lawrence and Susi Hoyle have taught over 2000 people to draw and given them the confidence to keep drawing.

Pottery - Intermediate throwing &amp; sustainability in ceramics with Annabelle Smith - SOLD OUT.
Jul 26
Pottery - Intermediate throwing & sustainability in ceramics with Annabelle Smith - SOLD OUT.

This long weekend course is for intermediate potters. If you want to improve your throwing skills, this dedicated time and space with expert tuition will help you develop your ceramic practice. This course will include techniques for preparing and wedging your clay, centering on the wheel, throwing a basic cylinder, turning and trimming pots, attaching handles and exploring other forms including bowls, mugs, jugs, and plates.

Pottery - An experimental approach to hand-building in stoneware, focusing on pinching and coiling with Rachel Wood - 1 place released.
Aug 2
Pottery - An experimental approach to hand-building in stoneware, focusing on pinching and coiling with Rachel Wood - 1 place released.

I’m thrilled to announce Rachel Wood as a new tutor for 2025. This course aims to refresh, revitalise and deepen your connection with the hand building techniques of pinching and coiling. Using an experimental approach, you will be able to gain confidence, develop competent skills and befriend your clay.

You will learn and apply surface decoration and mark making techniques to add vitality and life to your work, so that the natural qualities of the clay, and the experience of being at Coombe come shining through.

Pottery - 5 day throwing course Altered forms with Sabine Nemet.
Aug 9
Pottery - 5 day throwing course Altered forms with Sabine Nemet.

We are delighted to be welcoming back to Coombe the utterly brilliant and talented Sabine Nemet. Sabine will be teaching a five day throwing course, focusing on the shapes and forms she makes and is known for.

MUD &amp; WATER - Open water swimming &amp; pottery.
Sept 6
MUD & WATER - Open water swimming & pottery.

We created this new course in 2023 offering tutored sessions in both outdoor swimming and pottery led by hugely talented and experienced potters Laurel Keeley and Jodie Crook Giles and Outdoor Swimming Society Director Kari Furre. It was a huge success so its back for 2024.

Ceramics - Slab built and Slip-painted Ceramics – Responding to Place - 5 Day course with Anna Lambert - SOLD OUT &lt;join waitlist&gt;
Sept 13
Ceramics - Slab built and Slip-painted Ceramics – Responding to Place - 5 Day course with Anna Lambert - SOLD OUT <join waitlist>

This is an immersive five day intensive pottery residential with the internationally recognised potter Anna Lambert. Anna builds her work from a white earthenware mixed clay, using a variety of handbuilding techniques.

PAINTING - TESSA PEARSON - Layered Landscapes- Exploring Colour and Pattern with collage
Sept 27
PAINTING - TESSA PEARSON - Layered Landscapes- Exploring Colour and Pattern with collage

Garden Landscapes - Exploring Colour and Pattern with collage.

In this workshop you will respond to the wonderful hedgerows and gardens at Coombe.

Looking for colour combinations, pattern and rhythms in the gardens, vegetable patch and hedgerows, using a variety of mixed media including oil pastels, watercolour, gouache and crayons you

POTTERY &amp; POETRY, Centering. 5 day course with Laurel Keeley &amp; Alice Oswald.
Oct 4
POTTERY & POETRY, Centering. 5 day course with Laurel Keeley & Alice Oswald.

This is a new course, created for those that want to explore and develop their own voice in the pottery and/or find form in their poetry. It is a course for potters or poets, or for any of you that might be doing both. Led by masters in their field Laurel Keleey (Ceramics) Alice Oswald (Poetry).