Belleek Pottery Fermanagh
Belleek Pottery in the small village of Belleek in County Fermanagh, right on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, is one of Ireland's oldest and most famous craft manufacturers, a producer of distinctive fine parian china and pottery that has been made in this border village since 1857. The pottery is celebrated internationally for its delicate basket-weave china decorated with flowers and shells and for the characteristic pale creamy glaze that gives Belleek its unique appearance, and its products have been collected by royalty, displayed in international exhibitions and exported across the world throughout its long history.
The story of Belleek Pottery's founding is tied directly to the geological accident that placed the raw materials for fine pottery manufacture in this remote corner of Fermanagh. The discovery of feldspar, kaolin and other clay minerals in the area in the mid-nineteenth century provided the raw materials for a pottery industry, and the power of the River Erne flowing through the village provided the energy to drive the manufacturing process. John Caldwell Bloomfield, the local landlord, recognised the potential and established the pottery in partnership with London business interests, creating employment in an area that had been devastated by the Great Famine of the previous decade.
The visitor experience at Belleek includes a tour of the working factory floor where visitors can watch the skilled craftspeople forming, decorating and glazing the pottery by hand using techniques that have remained largely unchanged since the Victorian period. The museum within the complex tells the story of the pottery's history and displays examples of its most celebrated pieces from across different periods of production. The extensive showroom and shop offer the full range of current production.
The village of Belleek itself sits attractively on the River Erne and is a good base for exploring the Fermanagh lakelands, with Lough Erne and its numerous islands providing boat trips, fishing and the remarkable early Christian carvings of White Island and Boa Island within easy reach.