My friend and I agreed to have craft table at a fund raising dog show last weekend. It was in aid of German Shepherd rescue, a very good cause. The sun shone and the dogs were cute but as we didn’t have very many customers Gypsy went for a village wander to pass sometime.
The main road into the village had some pretty cottages and a tiny school
The pub looked quite appealing – hum, maybe it’s as well that i didn’t have any money with me!
And then I discovered Spreyton Pottery and Ross, its very friendly owner. His signature style is a blue glaze, from quite pale to a deeper rich shade and sometimes decorated with dragons or the triple hare emblem *. I fell for a lovely bowl that would be the perfect size for salad and very affordable – if I’d had that cash on me! His work seemed familiar and I thought perhaps I had seen him at a craft show, but then I spotted a coffee mug on a shelf, and realised I had one, a present from a friend and one of my favourites.
Ross also offers pottery classes, with tasters for an hour and a half, which allow enough time to have a go at throwing on the wheel, and painting pottery. He also does one day workshops which include lunch at the pub above, the Tom Cobley – I like the sound of that! Alternatively you can book six weeks of evening or day courses so that as well as learning to throw, you can try slip cast, glazing and decorating your creations.
Ross is a talented man, not just a potter, he also built his lovely studio. He was very welcoming, even though I came empty handed! An all round affable guy, one of the things he does are Hen party sessions, including lunch at the pub, I’m sure he would be a good tutor and genial host.
I strolled on up the village, feeling inspired to try my hand at pottery again . There was hardly anyone around, the odd dog, child and chicken enjoying the peaceful sunshine. I headed for the church, and through the lych gate
and I sprang a pheasant, breaking the silence as I walked down the lovely original path.
The door was heavy oak and probably as old as the church.
Inside, it was simple but well loved, with the remains of an old stone font and bits of rood screen. The floor was also natural old stone.
The ceiling, just as simple
Leaving the church behind,
I headed back to where I started my wander, and spotted this, which took me back to childhood when I learnt to sew on a treadle sewing machine!
This has turned into a mammoth post but I couldn’t leave anything out because Spreyton is such a pretty village.
* This is the trefoil of hares, they are a symbol of many Dartmoor villages and have pagan folklore about Eostre, the goddess of spring and fertility – where we get Easter from! There are also connections with the Silk road that go back eight hundred years.
More information about Spreyton Pottery can be found at http://www.spreytonpottery.co.uk
Lucid Gypsy 
Gilly, you have such a wonderful eye for details and such a gift for explaining what your pictures are about!
I think you must have missed some of the photos too honey as it seems I messed it up first time around!
You’re right! Thank you.
Hi Gilly!
Some of the pics did not come out as individuals but I think they are in the slideshow.
This looks like a fabulous little village & is on our ‘must visit’ list! Thank you for showing it off!
Julia thanks! They are there now and also in the slide show where I didn’t want them!
thank you for showcasing my home village so well … it is the nicest place I have ever lived!
more info and pictures can be found on http://www.spreyton.org.uk
Thanks Nellypenny I should have read that first!
Beautiful pictures. Such depth. Must be the way the camera is positioned. I enjoyed this post very much. Thank you.
Also, I might add as well as a previous commenter that the first 4 pictures aren’t available and the slide show as well.
Thanks honey, they are back now but they weren’t meant to be in the slide show and I can’t get them out!
Oh, Gilly, I love these, every one of them! So rustic and fresh! Nice job, as always!
Ah thanks Anne, you’re very kind 🙂
Oh, Gilly, these are wonderful! I felt like I was visiting in one of Miss Read’s villages in real life! Unfortunately, my computer has been acting up, and I couldn’t view every single picture, but I was able to see most of them. I’d love to have one of those big blue teapots. This article made me want to consider learning the art of pottery. I’m trying to learn to paint with watercolors and acrylics right now, but there’s almost no time for it, so I guess I’ll wait on this new idea. But if you decide to do some lessons with this man, be sure and take plenty of pictures to share.
It wasn’t your computer it was me! They are there now though!
Oh, thanks. I’ll go back.
Wow Gilly! Absolutey stunning photo’s! I so love going on these virtual tours and seeing all these beautiful places! Thanks hon! 🙂
*hugs*
Thank You for coming along! 🙂
What a beautiful share Gilly.
You’ve taken me on a lovely journey down spreyton 🙂
Glad you like it Amira and I certainly love your posts too !
Beautiful village! Hope I will someday find the time to explore all these little villages! Till then thank you!
You would love it Madhu, they all have different characters 🙂
Great pix and guided tour. Now where are the German Shepherds?!
Hahaha my doggy pics didn’t turn out brilliantly because they weren’t posing for me!
what a gorgeous wander gilly, loved those carvings in the church, the trefoil of hares, the path, so much to touch, to gaze upon, just beautiful!
Thanks Christine, you would love the folklore connections!
🙂
It surely is! I love pottery shops too! Margie
Heehee I could spend a fortune there!
Beautiful shots Gilly and a great tour. I love the gentle way you guide us along. There are so many great sights – thatched roofs!!! I love the pottery, the trefoil piece is a beauty and I would also have the big bowl that’s in front of it. Gorgeous.
Oh you like thatches? I’ll have to see what I can do 🙂
Beautiful photos, and I love your storytelling sense for the travelogue. Makes me feel like I’m really there. (The line, “…the odd dog, child, and chicken…” made me smile!) Sounds like a right little (calm!) adventure.
Thanks for posting!
Bless you Mayumi, I love travel writing and decided to focus on my own beautiful little England as well as more distant lands!
What a lovely wander. We didn’t make it quite that far (Devon that is) on our wander into the West Country, only as far as Dorset. Quite far enough west for the Things 😉
The Things would love Devon and in Cornwall they might meet a Piskie!
Yes, I agree, they would. Sadly, they go tomorrow, I’m wiping a tear away as I write!
What? go where???
Breathtaking photos! I meant to comment yesterday but didn’t get a chance. What I wanted to say was that I was outside in what I guess was seasonably chilly weather with my daughter and her girl scout troop at our last “cookie booth sale.” We were all shivering for about three hours. Luckily I had your blog on my blackberry. The girls and I had such a wonderful time looking at the photographs! Thanks Gilly for keeping us warm with all this beauty. Troop #44 is a fan of yours!
Lisa I think that is the nicest comment I’ve ever had and I’m delighted to have taken some of the chill away! I’m guessing that the girls bake the cookies and sell them to passers by from a little gazebo? I would love to know more. So here’s a challenge for Troop 44 – I would like to invite them to do a guest blog for Lucid Gypsy to tell us all about what they get up to 🙂
A wonderful tour, Gilly, in photos and words – the old church and it’s grounds are magnificent. I’m intrigued by the strange-face piece on the ceiling – do you know what it signifies?
Yes! It’s a Green Man, a pagan fertility symbol that is still popular, I have one in the garden. I don’t know why but many very old churches have them as boss’s, perhaps when the churches were built there were still a lot of the old beliefs and they wanted to keep their options open 🙂
Fascinating! Thanks 🙂
Such fabulous captures!!
Ah thanks Cee!
i would get lost amongst all that beuaty…what a way to go
Good to ‘see’ you Jo 🙂
Picturesque! I wish I were there… thanks fro the photos. 🙂
What a lovely summary of our beautiful village. It’s a really pretty place to live.
Hi Sarah from Weeke Farm, I expect I drove past your place. Thanks for taking the time to comment on my post and I hope I did Spreyton justice, Penny Rose seemed to think so. It’s a beautiful place just where I would choose if I was a village lass! I hope you tell uour local friends to come visit lucid gypsy 🙂 ☆