Just outside the Courtyard is located the kiln site of the Sherwood Forest Wood-Firing Society**, which has 6 weekly firings of works by this group of ceramicists and potters using their fast fire downdraft kiln. On its facebook page they are known as the Thoresby Wood-Firing Society - where there is a link to a facebook group (which requires you to login to facebook to view). Membership is open to anyone interested in wood firing. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information. See also Brian Holland's website and the Studio Pottery news item. Group member Steve Booton has also posted a short YouTube video of the Thoresby kiln.

** Originally based at Rufford, where it was known as the Rufford Wood Firing Society, this group came into existence following the construction by John Fellows of an anagama type kiln (basically a 'cross draught' kiln, consisting of a tunnel with a firebox at one end and a flue and chimney at the other with space for work to be stacked in between so that the flame travels across the work). Initially, John operated the kiln together with Brian Holland, who was recruited by Rufford to get to know the kiln and to gather together a team of people in order to fire the kiln as part of their residency programme. This led to the formation of the Rufford Wood Firing Society, who fired their own work in between the residency firings. Following major changes at Rufford in 2010 the group were offered the present site at Thoresby, where the Stonebridge Trust has been very accomodating and encouraging, putting a new roof on the kiln shed, around which the group built a stockade for its new fast fire downdraft kiln, the first firing of which took place on the weekend of 19-20 February 2011. The group intends eventually to build another anagama kiln.