> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thestaffordshiresignal.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Queues out the door as first Stoke Ceramics Fair draws more than 1,340 visitors to Stoke Minster - URL: https://www.thestaffordshiresignal.co.uk/queues-out-the-door/ - Published: 2026-10-20T09:07:13.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-20T09:10:05.000Z - Description: More than 1,340 visitors packed Stoke Minster for the first Stoke Ceramics Fair, bringing together over 40 makers and prompting calls for a bigger venue next year. - Author: Jenna Goodwin - Tags: Ceramics, #top-story **Stoke-on-Trent’s first ever ceramics fair was such a success that visitors are already calling for a bigger venue, and possibly more than one day.** ****THE SIGNAL BRIEF** ****What’s new:** More than 1,340 people visited the inaugural Stoke Ceramics Fair at Stoke Minster on Saturday 17 October. ****By the numbers:** More than 40 ceramic artists from across the country took part, with visitors travelling from across Staffordshire, Liverpool and Manchester. ****What’s next:** Organisers have already received calls for a bigger venue and potentially a longer event when the fair returns. The doors of Stoke Minster were already open on Saturday morning, yet the queue to get in was still stretching out of the church and down the path. More than 1,340 people passed through the doors of the historic church on Saturday 17 October for the inaugural Stoke Ceramics Fair, which brought together more than 40 ceramic artists from across the country. Visitors travelled from across Staffordshire and well beyond, with some making the journey from as far as Liverpool and Manchester to browse, buy and meet the makers. ### A ceramics fair created by makers, for makers The free event was organised by three local potters and run as a not for profit fair, created by makers, for makers. While Stoke-on-Trent is known around the world for its ceramic heritage, the fair set out to shine a spotlight on the people continuing that story today through contemporary work. The venue itself could hardly have been more fitting. Stoke Minster sits in the heart of the Potteries, and its churchyard is the final resting place of Josiah Wedgwood. ### Handmade ceramics, live demos and meeting the makers Inside, stalls lined the aisles and filled every available corner of the Minster. Visitors browsed functional tableware and homeware alongside sculpture, decorative pieces and one of a kind artworks, all handmade and all sold directly by the person who made them. Live demonstrations drew crowds several rows deep, with visitors watching pieces take shape in real time. Established names exhibited alongside emerging artists and small independent businesses, and for some makers it was their very first fair. Many have already said they would like to return next year. ### Calls for a bigger venue, and maybe more than one day The fair’s popularity brought one recurring piece of feedback. The Minster was so busy that browsing at times became more of a gentle shuffle, and visitors have been saying the event needs a bigger venue next year, and perhaps even more than one day. > For a first event, it is a very good problem to have. Visitors looking for a maker they met on the day can find the full list of exhibitors on the [Stoke Ceramics Fair website](https://stokeceramicsfair.co.uk/meet-the-makers?ref=thestaffordshiresignal.co.uk). ### Our ceramics story is far from finished For the organisers, the turnout was more than they could have hoped for. What began as an idea between three potters became a day the team say they will never forget. And if the day proved anything, it is that the people of Stoke-on-Trent, and well beyond, still see the value in a real person turning clay into something they want to buy. In supporting local makers, in keeping traditional skills alive, and in making the city’s heritage a part of its future. In a city built on clay, it seems the best is still being made. ![The Staffordshire Signal](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3b/48/3b482e3b-bd85-4cd0-bf5d-b4c28e10d60b/content/images/2026/04/Logo-website-PNG-close-crop-green-4.png) Why the Signal exists ## Real news takes time. Thanks for taking yours. You've just read a story that took time to get right. No clickbait, no racing to be first, no ads chasing you down the page. I started The Staffordshire Signal because I got fed up of local news that chased clicks instead of stories. We're independent, not-for-profit, IMPRESS-regulated and owned right here, so we answer to nobody but you. > The honest bit: local news only survives if local people choose it. If we don't, it goes. Jenna GoodwinFounder and Editor, The Staffordshire Signal ### Love what we do? Buy us an oatcake! Cheese and bacon, if you're feeling generous. Every tip goes straight into local reporting. 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