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This page shows the history of Churchtown Farm – Kernewek Cottage Restaurant – Kernewek Pottery – Potters Mews/Park View.
Back in my youth during the 1960’s there was a farm called Churchtown Farm once owned by Mr Joe Nicholls in the centre of our village, hard to visualise today.
Mr Nicholls kept a number of “North Devon cattle”. Mr Nicholls passed away in 1965, and some time afterwards the Farmhouse was converted into a Restaurant (The Kernewek Cottage Restaurant) but the outbuildings remained on site.
After a few years this closed and the Restaurant was converted into a dwelling. Mr & Mrs Reg Foster moved there, and built Fosters Pottery. The outbuildings still remained. There were other brothers that owned separate Fosters Potteries, one at Scorrier and one in Redruth.
In 1995 a fire in the Kiln Building destroyed the potteries ability to make pottery on site and it was then solely used as a Pottery Factory Shop. Eventually closing down completely in 2005.
Mr Foster then started a housing development on the site including the outbuildings which were also converted. The development took a number of years to complete, the old Kiln building gone by 2009, and the last dwelling built in 2014. This site is now known as Potters Mews and Park View.
©2016 Derek Brooks
Hi I used to supply the programs to run the business side of the pottery. I worked for Marshall Penhaligon (good cornish name) at Computer Systems Western. Tony Foster and his girlfriend were good friends of mine but we lost touch when I moved to Portsmouth. Do you know if I can find Tony – would love to get back in contact with him.
I think I am correct and he still lives here in the village, where the Pottery was is now houses, but and owned by Reg Foster. Tony lives in one, his sister in another. I am pretty sure. I see him in our village shop, I will confirm his house number and you can drop him a line.
Of course it should read – 1845 Churchtown Farm was bought! – apologies.
It would have been one of 3 properties back then, The New Inn pub and The Forge all there in a triangle, more places built in and around 1900, didn’t know Churchtown Farm was that old. Looked good from outside late 60’s when I was young.
Hi Derek
This is off-topic but I could not see a better way to message you. I am researching the WW2 direction-finding station at Ford End in Essex. An equivalent station was subsequently built near Goonhavern in the summer of 1943. Are you aware of any records of it or photos from the time or later?
Regards
Paul
Apologies for delay in writing Paul. Yes I am I will email you privately.
Hi Derek
Thanks for picking this up. I don’t think I have had anything from you. Have you emailed yet? I have had a flood of emails on a few projects so might have missed it.
Regards
Paul
Evening Paul, No not sent yet, got distracted again with newe batch of photos of our area, hopefully in a few days, will let you know when sent. Derek BTW My father installed the radio equiptment into the Station during WW2, as you know it was linked to GCHQ.
Churchtown Farm – bought with 75 acres of land c. 1945 by Henry Prophet who married Mary Ann Kernick and they had 11 children. My g.grandmother (Susan) was their 3rd child and her daughter (Emily) was my grandmother and first cousin to Joe Nicholls. After Joe’s mother Mary (Minnie) Nicholls was no longer able to keep house for him (late 1930’s) my grandmother (then Emily Madge) went to the farm and kept house for him until her death in 1953. The war comes and I and my mother went to live in her bungalow in Rose Hill but the farm was so much part of my life – after the war staying there with my grandmother for holidays and we even got Uncle Joe to visit London in Coronation year! I first visited the farm as a 3/4 year old and am now nearing 87!
Interesting Morwenna, I was just too young to know Joe, but when the farm was empty as kids we would wander around the meadow and buildings. Lovely old place. I hope you have found the few pics I have of Joe Nicholls in Goonhavern Individuals.
Many years ago my wife and I visited the original pottery on many occasions buying a few pieces of the blue honeycomb design each time. Over the years we built a complete dinner service which I still have. Plates bowls serving dishes vases spoons all shapes and sizes. Sadly not used now as I live alone and the dozens of pieces lay idle in a cupboard. These are obviously rare so would like them to go to a good home. Any suggestions?
Philip, not as rare as you would think. If you go on ebay and search, there are people there selling pieces all the time.
Hi Philip. If you still have it all, I would love to have it .
Hi there,
Tomorrow I turn 36, 36 years ago I received a bowl, egg cup and a mug. All 3 have pictures of toys and a kid playing with the toys and a gold rim. On the bottom of the items are a marking saying kernewek goonhavern. One and all. I would like to know what the valuation of these would be? And the history would be great.
Kind regards
Gary
Hi Gary, Well sorry to burst bubble but you can google search and go on ebay and you will see loads of Kernewek Pottery items going for sale. As they say cheap as chips !! If you look at my web site you will see more on the site, before, then and now.
Hello. My Grandma came to Australia in 1920 from Cornwall and always told me stories of her home. My second cousin was Bert Waddling. I think he was in local government in a small way somewhere in Cornwall. I have 2 small pottery vases from around 1978 I think. Wonderful to read the history. I love my vases and will keep them as a memento to my Grandma.
I had a look on Ancestry, there seems to be a Waddling family in the Saltash area of Cornwall on the border with Plymouth. Apart from that the other place with a lot of those names is Islington, London. Sorry can’t find a Robert mentioned.
I found a soap dish and cup in a rose floral pattern at a thrift shop. I am giving it to a friend as a hostess gift in December and wanted to be able to give her a bit of history about it. Thank you for this information! I will be able to tell her it’s vintage pottery from Cornwall.
Glad to have helped.
Thank your for the great info. I think I will keep my tea pot I found at a thrift store in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I love items with interesting history.
is there a museum of the pottery,I have two pieces a vase and pot cover,they both have the same daisy pattern on,I would like them to go to a good home if there are any collectors at all that would be interested
thank you
penny
Not that I am aware of Penny, don’t think they would be a collectors item, as every day there are many items of pottery from Kernewek Pottery for Sale on EBAY. Could try your luck there. Derek
My first job was at the pottery in 1975, I can remember Reg Foster quite well, he was very dark skinned! I only stayed a few months, then moved on to Perranporth Golf Club to be an apprentice green keeper, which didn’t last very long at all! I do remember making the Goblin Teasmade at the factory. Must admit, was not aware of the fire in ’95, as I had long since left Cornwall.
Yes it was some event, such a shame but accidents happen. Today you would never know it had been there.
Really enjoyed this article on Fosters Pottery/Kernewek. However I would love to know more about the Fosters side of the family who ran the Redruth Pottery at West Tolgus, as there seem to be less info on the internet about the factory.
Talking about Seton Pottery Scorrier. I did not know the Fosters family own this factory as well. Well you learn something new everyday.
Ernest Sampson
33 West End
Redruth
Cornwall
Well if my memory is correct the 3 potteries were owned by 3 brothers, but it was some time ago, think they were all in operation during the 1980’s, not sure what Tolgus & Seaton are now. Only know Goonhavern side of the family.