Firefly Pottery
ENTRY
from £18
WHERE
Leeds
What it’s like
Have a go at throwing on a wheel, hand building with clay, or painting a piece to glaze and collect later.
This is a working pottery studio rather than a soft play with clay bolted on, so the sessions feel like the real thing. You can book a wheel session (45 minutes if you just want a taste, or 2-3 hours if you're committed), a hand building slot where it's pinch, coil and slab work, or a simpler pottery painting session if wheels sound like too much pressure. The wheel is £45 solo or £50 for a 2-hour group booking, which isn't pocket change, but hand building at £18 to £22.50 is a fairer price for a first go.
Whatever you make doesn't come home the same day. It gets fired and glazed after you leave, and the studio holds finished pieces for three months, with collection only on Fri-Sun mornings between 10am and 2:30pm. That's a second trip to plan in, so don't book a session the week before you move house.
The studio is up on the second floor and there's no working lift, which is worth knowing if you've got a buggy or anyone who struggles with stairs. Once you're up there it's level access throughout, including the bathroom and kitchen. Parking is free on site and there's a small café for hot and cold drinks, plus a bar and patisserie next door at Swinnow Grange Mills if a coffee isn't enough.
Everything runs on booking, there's no wandering in and grabbing a wheel. If you fancy going further than a one-off session, there are proper courses too: a 6-week beginners course at £240, evening wheel courses, and even masterclasses with named potters at £80 a head.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Free car park on site
- Food
- Hot beverages and cold drinks on site
- Wheelchairs
- Second floor with no working lift
- Gift vouchers last a year for clay experience courses, six months for everything else
- There's a Raku firing workshop for £38 if you fancy something different from the usual glaze
- The bar and patisserie next door at Swinnow Grange Mills is handy if the studio café isn't enough
- They'll travel out to you for some bookings, worth asking when you book
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Pottery painting averages £14, hand building starts at £18, and a solo wheel session is £45. Group 2-hour sessions are £22.50 for hand building or £50 for the wheel.
Do we need to book?
Yes, every activity needs a booking, either online, by phone or by email.
How long does a session take?
Wheel sessions run 45 minutes, 2 hours or 3 hours. Hand building, pottery painting and glazing are usually 2 or 3 hours.
Is there parking?
There's a free car park on site.
When can we collect finished pottery?
Collection is Fri-Sun, 10am to 2:30pm. They'll hold your piece for three months after your visit.
Can we eat or drink there?
There's hot and cold drinks on site, and light packaged snacks are allowed if you clear up after yourself. Own drinks need a lidded container.
Is there step-free access?
The studio is on the second floor with no working lift, though it's level access once you're inside.
How do we pay?
Cash, card or a Firefly gift voucher.
Do you run longer courses?
There's a 6-week beginners course at £240, a 4-session evening wheel course at £195, and one-off masterclasses at £80.
What are the general opening hours?
Fri-Sun 10am to 5:30pm for the public. Studio members get earlier and later access through the week.
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