History of Babbacombe Pottery by Lownds-Pateman Inc BLP Collection

Our Historical Background in Glorious South Devon

In 1921, Maurice LOWNDS-PATEMAN began providing a printing and photography service from his shop based at No. 120, Reddenhill Road, in the pretty Village of Babbacombe.

Maurice hand tinted local sepia  landscapes for Postcard Souvenirs and hand stitched organza sachets of Lavender and PotPourri at his shop in Babbacombe. However, it was his locally made red pottery jars filled with DEVON VIOLET Perfume that became his bestseller.

In 1947, LOWNDS PATEMAN LIMITED was incorporated at Hatfield Road with Maurice's son, Leslie, who was born above the shop in Babbacombe in 1924.  Leslie started working as one of the company  directors after he had served in the Royal Air Force during the war. Because of cutbacks during the war, restrictions were made on the amount of lead to be used in the glaze on pottery jars, which prompted the Babbacombe shop to change to using glass.

This resulted in the establishment of the Devon Wicker Company, which was formed in 1948 to hand wicker and cover with raffia glass Devon Violet perfume bottles. In 1950, the business relocated from Hatfield Road and the shop in Reddenhill Road to Havelock Road, St. Marychurch, previously a chapel and mission hall.

Over the next 40 years the company created a cottage industry in the area, teaching hundreds of outworkers the skills of raffia and basket work. However, by the 1990s, the antiquated design of the Havelock Road factory meant that new premises had to be found. In 1997, Babbacombe Pottery, Inc BLP Collection on the Babbacombe Road, then being run by Philip Laureston Design, went into administration, and Leslie, seeing an opportunity, moved his company to Babbacombe Road.

Sadly, after opening in 1998, with a market in decline and following the death of Leslie, Lownds Pateman Limited also went into administration in February 2000. Leslie was awarded the MBE in 1985 for his community and fundraising work and died in 1998 aged 74, a Freeman of the Borough of Torbay.

Leslies younger son, BRIAN born in 1950, joined the Company in 1970, has been trading as the B L P Collection in Torquay since 2001 -  now known as THE BABBACOMBE POTTERY COLLECTION, produces a fine range of ENGLISH CERAMICS made and hand painted in Torquay:   from blending the clay into slip, casting, fettling, sponging, kiln firing Biscuit, then hand painting and glazing, re-firing  - from this kiln comes the completed article BABBACOMBE CATS  and other Animals like Badgers, Foxes, Pigs, Cockerels, Ducks etc.  Also  manufacture the worldwide famous Devon Violet Perfume  and hand blended PotPourri. Hand decorates miniature Thimbles, small Plates, SMALL BOOTS & SHOES.  -   PLEASE NOTE:  WE ONLY SUPPLY OUR PRODUCTS TO TRADE CUSTOMERS.