AN advent trail of ceramics in Barnard Castle has been created by pottery students as a way to sell their artwork.
The Teesdale Pottery Group normally meets for classes once a week at The Hub, in Barnard Castle. The group has not been able to meet for eight months but have kept in touch with each other through a Whatsapp group.
But they wanted a way to showcase their work, some of which has been created at home during lockdown, and give residents of the dale something different to look out for so they created a Ceramic Advent Trail.
The trail, devised by Jill Tidmarsh, sees 24 pieces of pottery, from bowls to clay bird houses, placed around town.
Businesses and art venues in the town are helping out and will be placing differing pieces in their windows and grounds. Ms Tidmarsh said: “Some of the artwork is going to be inside and some will be outside, such as my birdhouse. It’s going to be fixed to a tree in The Bowes Museum grounds.”
Pieces will also be placed in the windows of businesses including Niche Living, Meynell’s Pet Shop, Allen and Sykes, Oliver Twist’s Deli, Katie’s Fish and Chips, Butler and Gee, Oxfam, Newcastle Building Society and Ruby as well as in the library and the nativity display on the Sills, in Startforth.
Maps with the complete trail will be available to view on both The Bowes Museum and The Witham’s social media pages.
Ms Starborn said: “Some of the pieces will be for sale and each will have a little note detailing who made it and what their inspiration was.
“What we would ask with the pieces that are placed outside is if people want to touch them, and they are very tactile pieces, is to remember to sanitise.”
The trail will remain in place until January 6.
