History

La Borne and the surrounding area has long been a centre for the production for stoneware pottery. The earliest mention is in a document dated 1260 which describes the road from Acheres to "la poterie'. The surrounding forests of Henrichemont and the local clays provide the raw materials for wood fired pottery production.

La Borne has been a major centre for traditional stoneware since the 17th century, supplying pots for domestic use. An 1861,a survey revealed that there were 70 pottery workers of which 30 were throwers. Numbers the started to dwindle as people left the countryside and other materials such as galvanised iron began to be used for domestic purposes instead of traditional stoneware.

In 1941, things turned for the better when the sculptor Jean Leurat arrived in La Borne under the patronage of Francois Guillaume. At the end of the war, a new wave of potters were attracted to La Borne. These included Anne Kjaersgaard and Gwyn Hanssen who both worked for short period with Bernard Leach at St. Ives. Leach himself visited the nearby pottery town of St. Amand-en-Puisaye. Did he visit La Borne and what would the studio pottery world look like today if he had worked extensively in La Borne instead of with Hamada in Japan? La Borne also attracted artists and notably the Bulgarian painter, engraver and photographer Vassil Ivanoff who built a kiln in La Borne producing sculptural work and developing wonderful sang-de-boeuf glazes.

La Borne has remained a magnet for potters and in the 1970s, Harrow graduates Janet Steadman and Christine Pedley set up studios. When talking to Christine recently, she said that she never intended to stay but La Borne has kept her under its spell for over 30 years.

Today, La Borne is still way off the tourist trail but for those who make the effort to seek it out it offers much to delight.

This page has barely scratched the surface of the history of La Borne. I only spent a few hours in the village and am certainly not the right person to write a full account. Perhaps someone reading this will have knowledge and experience of La Borne and offer to help me produce some pages worthy of the place. If that person is you, please contact me.

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