The Bovey Tracey Potteries were a collection of potteries in the Bovey Tracey area of Devon, based on the clay from the Bovey Basin. Pottery making developed in the area developed on an industrial scale from around 1750 and lasted for around 200 years under various owners and names. History Pottery is known to have been produced in the area since the early part of the 18th century as a kiln containing several unfinished and kiln-damaged saltglazed pots dated from 1760 was discovered in 1932 in Fore Street, Bovey Tracey. The kiln has since been moved to The Bovey Tracey Heritage Centre and the pots to The Bovey Pottery Museum where they can be seen on display. Lord William Courtenay, Earl of Devon opened a clay and lignite (brown coal) pit in 1750 at what has come to be known at Blue Waters near Bovey Tracey. Referred to as the "coal adventure" in the pottery industry at the time, several potters from Staffordshire moved to the area to make use of the raw materials and avoid transportation costs but the coal was not of sufficient quality to produce the quality of pottery desired. This was documented by Jeremiah Milles, Dean of Exeter at the time, who said: "the Bovey coal… was not of a heat intense enough to answer the purpose". Known potteries The best-known potteries at Bovey Tracey included The Indeo Pottery, The Folly Pottery, The Bovey Tracey Pottery Company and The Bovey Pottery Company Limited, covering a period from 1766 to 1999. The Indeo Pottery (1766-1836) In 1766 Nicholas Crisp, a London businessman, moved to Bovey Heathfield (the town which would later come to be known as Bovey Tracey), bringing with him the backing of other investors and several key workers. He established a new company for the manufacture of porcelain and pottery at Indeo House. Indeo Pottery were well known for their Saltglaze, Creamware and Pearlware Tea Canisters inscribed with owners names, but within 2 years the company was declared bankrupt. In 1772 William Ellis, a local potter, raised enough funds to re-establish the Indeo Pottery. The company lasted under various partnerships until 1836. The Folly Pottery (1801-1836) In 1801 a new pottery was built in Bovey as a direct competitor to the nearby Indeo Pottery. This new company underwent several changes, until 1820 when it became popularly known as "The Folly Pottery" due to "the failure