Vintage & Antiques

Bristol Pottery: English Blue and White for the Table

· 5 min read
Bristol Pottery: English Blue and White for the Table

River landscapes with sailing boats, castles and cliffs, printed in grey-blue on creamy earthenware: the “Bristol Scenes” series brings English country style to your table. My shop currently holds a whole collection of it, from soup plates to a salt shaker. Some of the plates come in such numbers that you can lay a complete table with them.

What it says underneath

Every piece carries the mark “Bristol Scenes – Reproduction by The Bristol Pottery, England, Founded 1652”, with the name of its view below. The views go back to a series the Bristol Pottery printed from 1816, then under the name Pountney & Allies: scenes from Bristol and its surroundings such as St Vincent’s Rocks, Cook’s Folly or Hotwell House. “Reproduction” means these are later editions, not pieces from the early 19th century. That is what the mark says, and that is how I describe them. The advantage: you can use them instead of just keeping them in a cabinet.

A table laid in one style

Three plates are currently available in quantity, each with a floral border and a ribbed rim:

  • Soup plates “St Vincent’s Rocks”, Ø 23 cm, 9 pieces
  • Cake plates “Cook’s Folly”, Ø 16 cm, 18 pieces
  • Saucers “Stapleton”, Ø 16.5 cm, 7 pieces

That is enough to lay a dinner or coffee table for six to seven people in the same style. Simply choose the number you want when you order.

Bristol Scenes soup plate St Vincent’s Rocks with blue floral border and river landscapeView on Etsy ↗ Stack of Bristol Scenes soup plates St Vincent’s RocksView on Etsy ↗ Bristol Scenes cake plate Cook’s Folly with sailing boats, a tree and two women by the riverView on Etsy ↗ Stack of Bristol Scenes cake plates Cook’s FollyView on Etsy ↗ Bristol Scenes saucer Stapleton with river landscape and rowing boatsView on Etsy ↗ Back mark Bristol Scenes Reproduction by The Bristol Pottery England Founded 1652, Cook’s FollyView on Etsy ↗

Small pieces for every day

The smaller pieces of the series go well with the table: the milk jug “Hotwell House” for the coffee table, the bowl “Avon Gorge” for dessert or nuts and the mini plate “Stapleton” as a butter dish or tea bag rest. The handleless beaker “The New Cut” makes a nice brush or pencil holder. There is also a salt shaker and small cup set in the same style but without a mark, and four soup cups “Chepstow Castle”, which I offer only as a decorative set because of their damage.

Bristol Scenes milk jug Hotwell House with floral band and river landscapeView on Etsy ↗ Small Bristol Scenes bowl Avon Gorge with sailing ships between cliffsView on Etsy ↗ Bristol Scenes mini plate Stapleton, 9 cmView on Etsy ↗ Handleless Bristol Scenes beaker The New Cut with river landscape and buildingView on Etsy ↗ Two-handled Bristol Scenes soup cup Chepstow Castle with castle ruinView on Etsy ↗ Earthenware salt shaker and small cup with blue transfer printView on Etsy ↗

Honestly described, safely packed

Old earthenware often has fine hairline cracks in the glaze, known as crazing. For every piece I describe exactly how much of it shows and whether there are stains or chips. It is best to wash the china by hand; more on this in How to care for vintage items. Orders ship within one working day, packed to prevent breakage and with tracking, and gift wrapping is available on request. That also makes a plate or the milk jug a housewarming gift for lovers of English china.

Each piece exists only once, and the plates only in the numbers stated. You will find more pieces in the product overview and in the Bavarian Heritage Etsy shop.

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