This is a quick guide to the sort marks that can be found on nearly all Ashtead Pottery. The Ashtead factory was very precise in its marking system and coded virtually every phase of the manufacture.

The picture above is the reverse of a decorated side plate and is a good example of the various marks to be found.

Starting at the top:

The "Ashtead Potters" stylised tree stamp. This one includes the words "BCM/ASHTD" - this being an early style of post coding which stood for British Commercial Monomark / Ashtead. There is also the wording "Made in England" either side of a circle. The circle is a date code. (see below for year codes)

This plate carries the artists personal mark of a right-angle and dot, in this instance William Robinson.

By the word "England" is an impressed mark "027". At busy times it is known that the factory "bought in" plain slips to be decorated at Ashtead. This example was sourced from the Wedgwood factory, the "027" being their date code. However, these blanks could have sat on the shelf for several months or years, hence the difference between the Wedgwood and Ashtead date marks.

Next down there is the model number "P8" = plate, size 8. Model numbers are always in upper case. This is followed by "k" for the glaze code and "ep" for the decoration, in this case a tree. There are probably more than 30 known decoration codes. At present the author is trying to compile a list for later inclusion.

Another mark, not shown here, is an inscribed "HT" for hand thrown. Many of the vases and some jugs were made this way as opposed to being "slipware".


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A codes

Comport

Plates, pot stands

Bowls, basins, flower bowls, sugar bowls, Porringer

Saucers, tureen stands, soup bowl stands, toast racks

Cup

Preserve dishes and fruit bowls

"Ashtead" dinner and coffee services

Vases

Jugs, tankards, covered jugs, ewers

"Wigmore" dinner service

Beakers

Boxes, containers, teapots, covered jars (jam pots), honeycomb dish, bacon dish, soap dish, coffee pot, porringer with cover.

Lamp bases

Model

Advertising wares, Commemoratives and other special designs

Star

1925/1926

Square

1930?/1931

Crescent

1927

Plus

1932

Swastika

1928

Diamond

1934

Anchor

1929?

Triangle

1933?

Circle

1930?

One dot =

Albert Vincent

Three dots (forming a triangle) =

Stanley Conway

Two dots =

William Dennis

Right angle and dot =

William Robinson

a

Dark Green

g

Ivory

p

Rose

w

White

b

Yellow

k

Pearl barley

r

Black

x

Opaque white

c

Royal Blue

m

Orange

s

Mauve

z

Light chocolate brown

d

Celadon

n

Grey / green

t

Cinnamon

f

Powder Blue

o

Apple Green

v

Jade Green

This is a far from complete listing of decoration codes (for the purpose of these descriptions "bands" would be found on the rims of plates and "hoops" on jugs and vases). Can anyone supply any others?

By clicking on the code letter you can see an example of that decoration.

• ai - clematis and vine

• aj - green/blue geometric dots and diamonds

• al - cottage and garden

• au/4 - geometric pattern - two hoops separated by diagonal lines

• au/8 - black geometric pattern - two hoops separated by diagonal lines

• bb - green / yellow ducks on water

• bc - blue / yellow geometric pattern

• be - blue / green geometric pattern

• bf - harlequin hoops (sepia/brown/green/yellow/blue)

• bk - broad bands (brown/white, blue/white, green/white, etc)

• bk/6 - yellow/white hoops

• bk/8 - brown/white hoops

• bk/13 - blue/white hoops

• bl - Blue/Sepia geometric pattern

• bm - Chinaman with kite?

• bn - fish

• bo - Shepherd and sheep

• br - blue/sepia geometric (Greek style) pattern

• bu - Blue/Sepia swirl and circle pattern

• bur - March hare

• cb - August fields

• cb/k- black/sepia/green/blue vertical lines

• cd - duck

• ce - sepia/olive/black bands

• ce/4 - brown/black/brown bands

• ch - sheaf of flowers

• ci - black geometric design

• cj - rabbit and flowers

• ck - lady and wigged man

• cl - chicken / hen strutting

• cn - sailing ship

• cp - sepia/black/yellow/white hoops

• cq - floral design

• cr - royal blue/powder blue hoops

• cv - brown/black/olive bands

• cx - Chinese lantern? geometric pattern (yellow/black/sepia)

• cy - gamekeeper and birds

• daz - rabbit & green/yellow geometric border (on a dish)

• dec - intertwined parrots

• dy - galleon

• el - floral

• ep- trees

• et - leaves

• ezz - lady holding a bird

• fe - owl

• ff - green/black bands

• fg - fish blowing bubbles

• fh - stylized thistle

• fo - vase with fruit

• fy - blue/green fern

• ga - Roe Deer

• gc - daffodils

• ge - stylized fish

• gf - green/blue/yellow geometric spring flowers (daffodils?)

• gg - green/blue/yellow leaves tied as a bunch

• gr - royal blue/sepia geometric

• gt - sepia/black/sepia

• gy - blue/black bands

• ha - blue/green sundial

• hc - Pied Piper

• hd - knight on horseback

• hf - crinoline ladies

• hh - brown/blue/sepia/pearl barley hoops

• hi - black/sepia bands

• hm - blue/sepia bands

• hp - golden brown/sepia bands

• hu - blue/green bands

• hz - blue/green "roman" urn with cascading flowers

• ie - Peasant with birds on a stick

• jo - spring flowers

• ju - Viking ship

• kb - blue/green/yellow flowers

• kj - spring flowers

• kl - blue/green hoops

• kq- green/sepia hoops

• mb - bird in a bush with flowers

• me - underwater scene (seaweeds, bubbles, fishes)