About Us

Clay with Carole was born in 2010 from Carole’s desire to share a lifelong love and knowledge of pottery making with others. The purpose built studio situated in our pretty garden in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, has proved to be a perfect base to fulfil that ambition. Over the years it has expanded into a thriving hive of creative activity offering both hand building and wheel classes to anyone who wants to try their hand at this wonderful craft and art form.

Carole is joined by her daughter and fellow pottery teacher Talia in the running of the studio and teaching. 

The Studio

Our pottery studio has a large hand building area seating up to 16 people and a separate wheel room with 5 pottery wheels. We have a huge range of materials available to our students including glazes, oxides, tools, textures and anything else you might need. We fire all of our students work in our large studio kiln. We are a 5 minute drive from Hitchin town centre and Hitchin station or around a 20 minute walk. There is free street parking outside for visitors.

Carole Sender

Proud to have been a Contestant in Great Pottery Throwdown Series 2

Hello I’m Carole. My interest in ceramics began more than 30 years ago. I was the manager of a retail shop in London, selling studio ceramics and handmade crafts, and would tour the country, visiting remote, rural studios and ordering ceramics for the store. I went on to study interior design and worked for several years in an architectural practice as a designer.

Clay with Carol - Great Pottery Throwdown contestant 2017

Fine Art meets Ceramics

My passion for pottery and ceramics was reignited in the 1980s, when I gained a City and Guilds Ceramics qualification at Kingsway College, London and followed this with Foundation Art Diploma and Degree level study at the University of Hertfordshire in Fine Art. Ceramics is a constant process of learning and I regularly take part in short courses to learn new techniques and broaden my skills.

Sharing of ideas

The Clay with Carole studio was borne out of my desire to teach and pass on knowledge to others. I feel strongly that studying ceramic art is ongoing, rich, and fascinating and that the learning process is one of mutual communication and the sharing of ideas. I teach both wheel throwing and hand building skills in one off sessions, classes and larger group parties.

Talia Sender-Galloway

Hello I’m Talia, I love being part of our amazing business which brings people together. I grew up learning about pottery and have been teaching in the studio since it first opened. I enjoy teaching hand building and the pottery wheel and I love creating fun and interesting workshops for adults and children and watching everyone enjoy the therapeutic nature of clay. I specialise in teaching groups of families and children and running the parties which come to the studio. I also have a background in Learning and Development which comes in handy when organising pottery team building and events.