At Woodsetton two generations and an upcoming third, have made their livings as designer-makers for over 50 years. David Bates, a furniture designer and manufacture and Gill Bates, an antique dealer, later came together to work with pewter. The current  style directed by Lorraine Bates; primarily potter, as well as pewtersmith, jeweller, lecturer and designer-maker.

 

The Victorian house and workshops which housed their early business was built by the Parkes family of Iron founders who were descendants of Abraham Derby 1st, and so there has been a long line of metalworking at this address. For the latter 30 years, there has also been pottery here using stoneware and metal to make pieces of use. The combination of these two materials has an illustrious history in the Black Country in the shape of The Ruskin Pottery who made stoneware in The Arts and Crafts tradition and ethos which is still a strong influence on the work. Woodsetton now has a history of making for galleries, museums and exhibitions in the UK, America, Japan and Europe.