7 Pottery Classes to Try in London This September

If you want to learn pottery but aren't sure whether you'll prefer wheel throwing or hand-building, this is probably the strongest starting point we've found. Turning Earth's eight-week Full Ceramics course covers both, giving you time to try different techniques before deciding what you want to pursue further.

Turning Earth recommended this September course to Learn.London for exactly that reason. It's a bigger commitment than a taster, but if you're already fairly sure you want to learn ceramics properly, we'd favour this over a short introductory session.

The Shoreditch class focuses on hand-building, so there's no wheel involved. You'll work directly with clay and learn some of the basic techniques used to shape a piece by hand.

At this price and length, it's the one we'd choose if you simply want to find out whether pottery is for you. You can have a proper go without spending hundreds of pounds or giving up several evenings.

Muni London's Battersea taster sits nicely between a very short introductory session and a full course. Two and a half hours gives you enough studio time to settle in and actually experience working with clay rather than feeling like you've only just started when the session ends.

It's a good choice if you're genuinely interested in pottery but still want to test the waters first. Muni also runs more specialised classes, so there's somewhere to go next if you decide you want to continue.

There is a big difference between trying wheel throwing for an hour or two and spending most of a day doing it. Crown Works gives beginners enough time to get past the very first stage and start getting a proper feel for the wheel.

At £170, this is a bigger investment than a taster, but the trade-off is time. We'd choose it for someone who already knows the wheel is what interests them and wants a more immersive introduction.

A lot of longer pottery courses take place after work, so this Saturday option immediately stands out. Over eight weeks, you'll have much more time to develop your throwing than you would in a one-off session.

It's the kind of course we'd look at if pottery is something you want to make part of your routine rather than simply try once. The weekend timing also makes the commitment feel easier to fit around a normal working week.

Not everyone who wants to learn pottery is interested in the wheel. This Hampstead School of Art course focuses on working directly with clay and gives you a full term to develop rather than trying to squeeze everything into a short workshop.

We wouldn't choose this as the cheapest way to experiment with pottery. It makes much more sense if hand-building already appeals to you and you're looking for something you can properly settle into over the autumn.

The Kiln Rooms is a good fit if you've already decided that wheel throwing is the direction you want to take. Twelve weeks gives you enough time to move beyond the novelty of the wheel and start building consistency.

The Sunday schedule is a big part of the appeal here. If weekday evenings are difficult and you want something relatively central, this is one of the more practical longer-course options we've found.