In preparation for the next Open Weekend at Cheeseburn Sculpture on 29th and 30th June 2019, local maker David Kirkland is busy working on his collection of ceramic bird boxes.
David owns some woodland about 20 miles from the Cheeseburn estate. It is here that David digs the clay from which they are made, which he then processes back at his home in Newcastle.
All are fired to 1250C, which makes them frostproof - they will outlast the tree or wall they are attached to!
New boxes are designed to RSPB specifications to suit a range of specific bird species. Some of the new boxes will be textured to look rock-like, achieved by making glazes from rocks David collects from Northumberland, and wood ash from his fire. Other new boxes will be unglazed, but heavily textured (like the picture example), allowing the character of the Northumbrian clay they are made from to be seen.