16th 17th 18th August 2019
Art in Clay Hatfield
Pottery & Ceramics Festival
Hatfield House
Hertfordshire
AL9 5NQ
Visitor Info
Celebrating 25 years of Art in Clay at Hatfield House in 2019, this show has now become one of the most important ceramic events in Europe.The makers range from young imaginative students and relative newcomers to leading National and International makers. Some of the best ideas for ceramics in interior and garden design will be on display for you to admire and buy.
Opening Times
Friday & Saturday 10am – 5.30pm
Sunday 10am – 5pm
Admission Prices
Adult £11.00 Seniors £10.50
Two-Day Ticket £19 Three-Day Ticket £27
Child 15yrs and under FREE
What’s On
There will be demonstrations taking place inside and outside the marquees all weekend, you’ll be able to see throwing, sculpting and hand decoration at various points around the show. There is also a full programme of talks and demonstrations planned.
There are two awards presented each year; ‘The Valentine Clays Peers Award‘ (voted for by all the makers at the show), and ‘The Potclays Student Award‘ The awards are presented when the show closes on Saturday (5.30pmish) and you are welcome to attend.
In 2020, the Mick Casson Memorial Award will be presented on the Saturday evening – this is a bi-annual award.
If you appreciate the beauty of lovingly made pots and ceramics; there will be something here to inspire you. The magnificent setting of Hatfield House and it’s parklands offers the opportunity to relax in the grounds during the show and spend a full day or more at this unique event.
Whether you are looking for something for the ‘inside or outside’ forget your preconceptions about ‘craft fairs’ and prepare to be amazed by the sheer diversity of Art in Clay.
FIND OUT MOREGetting there
Please follow the brown tourist signs for Hatfield House they will take you to the Main entrance opposite the Station which is used for Art in Clay. This is the same entrances we have always used for Art in Clay.
For further maps and travel information visit Hatfield House Website Maps and Directions
By Car – Hatfield House has brown road signs from all major routes and Art in Clay signs will indicate the entrances you should use to get in to the grounds for the show. The entrance opposite the station, which is normally a pedestrian entrance, is used for vehicles coming to the Art in Clay show and you will be directed through the grounds to the show car park, which is adjacent to the show site.
By Rail – The pedestrian entrance to Hatfield Park is opposite Hatfield railway station. The fast train from Kings Cross to Hatfield takes 20 minutes. There are London Underground links with this mainline at Finsbury Park (Piccadilly and Victoria lines). Local bus services regular drop off at Hatfield railway station.
Please note: Hatfield is just outside of the Oyster Card Zone, so please be reminded to purchase a valid ticket when travelling to Hatfield House by train.
Accommodation
Hatfield itself no longer has a Tourist Information Centre or a central online accommodation page on their local government website. You will need to do an online search for accommodation in Hatfield, Hertfordshire and have a look at what comes up. Alternatively you can try either phoning the local tourist board (Hertford) on +44 (0)1992 584322 or these websites:
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Lee Valley YHA
Caravan Club of G.B. – Hertford site
Campsites near Hatfield
Disabled Visitors
Parking for disabled drivers is next to the entrance of our show. The show is on cut grass and parkland that has a gentle slope. The grass is a field not a lawn and is therefoe uneven in places. We feel all the exhibition areas are accessible by wheelchairs. If you don’t please let us know. It is a large show site and we have benches and chairs around the outside of the tents, but these don’t have arms, so may be difficult to get out of depending on your level of disability. If you only use a wheelchair occasionally we would advise you to bring it along to the show, it may just make your whole day more manageable and therefore more enjoyable. There are temporary disabled W.C.’s on the showground and permanent disabled W.C. in the Old Palace Yard near the café. Visitors in wheelchairs are able to visit the parts of the house which are open to the public, and most of the Garden.
Parking
Parking is included in the ticket price for the show and is located on grass right next to the showground entrance.
Shuttle Bus
A free shuttle bus service will be running continuously to and from the show site entrance to Hatfield House, the Stables Courtyard Café and the Old Palace. Anyone coming on foot or by public transport need only walk 200m from the main gate and wait by our bus stop sign. Please be patient, the bus will be round in the time it takes to get to the showground and back, which is about every 20mins
Refreshments
A range of refreshments are available to suit all tastes. There are temporary catering facilities at various points around the showground that offer a varied selection of refreshments and the Coach House Restaurant near Hatfield House serves hot lunches and drinks.
Hatfield Park & Gardens
Admission includes access to the park, there is an extra charge for the House, gardens and Farm Park.
Visitors can also explore over 1,000 acres of parkland with nature trails and woods.
Hatfield House
Hatfield House is open for visitors during Art in Clay from 11am until 4.00 pm for an additional charge of £8 and £4 for children. For further information about Hatfield House, visit www.hatfield-house.co.uk
Dogs
Hatfield Park is huge with acres of accessible parkland. Dogs are welcome, but must be kept on a lead. Please clean up after your dog.
Ticket Entrance
The main ticket entrance for the show is now by the Showgound, so you will need to drive into the Park via the main entrance opposite the station. Once you have driven through the oneway system the Hatfield stewards will direct you to park. Then make your way to the main ticket entrance when you can purchase a ticket or use your advanced ticket to gain entry to the show.