Sculpting the past

Ceramicist Rich Miller is celebrating the craftspeople of Clandon Park in a major new project at the historic Surrey spot.

The National Trust has commissioned ceramicist, artist and TV presenter Rich Miller to lead a major new arts project at Clandon Park, which will reflect on the skills and experiences of the people who built the 18th century Palladian mansion, and those who are now helping to bring it back to life.

Clandon, near Guildford in Surrey, was built in the 1730s for the Onslow family. An outstanding example of Palladian architecture, the mansion was designed by Italian architect Giacomo Leoni and built and decorated by the leading English and European craftspeople and sculptors of the time. The house was transformed by fire in 2015, and while the skeleton remains, much of the interior was destroyed.  

The National Trust is now working on a project that will enable visitors to see Clandon in a new way, carefully conserving a place that celebrates the beauty of the surviving building and the many stories of the community of people who made and crafted it over the centuries.

The five-year project with star of Channel 4’s Great Pottery Throw Down Rich Miller will be the longest on-going artistic commission by the National Trust.  Rich, who is himself from Surrey, says he was inspired by the strong connection he felt to the makers and craftspeople from around the world who worked behind the scenes to build and maintain Clandon. 

“Clandon has always had a place in my heart – I remember visiting before the fire and being awestruck by its grandeur. The fire was devastating, but there is still a raw beauty in what is left behind which I find very inspiring,” he says.

“It has exposed the skeleton of the house – the bones beneath the facade. I want this new commission to reflect this. We will be looking beyond the family the house was built for, to those untold stories of the many different hands who worked on Clandon and whose labour provided the wealth that created it.”

Rich’s work will be inspired by two marble busts which previously looked out onto the Marble Hall, depicting what are believed to have represented the Onslow family’s trading interests with the East and West.

He plans to sculpt five new busts to celebrate the work of highly skilled contemporary craftspeople who are helping conserve the impressive and atmospheric qualities of post-fire Clandon and bring it to life once more. 

Each year Rich will lead a workshop for local communities and students to create keepsakes inspired by Clandon. Working with brick making, joinery, decorative finishes, ceramics and this year, stonemasonry, these keepsakes will be displayed alongside the busts when Clandon reopens.

“We were excited when Rich approached us to work with him,” says Kiki Claxton, National Trust Experiences and Partnerhships Curator at Clandon. “The fire destroyed much of the interior carpentry, joinery and surface finishes in the house, but the layers that have been revealed show us so much about how it was designed, built and crafted. 

“This exciting collaboration will give visitors new opportunities to explore Clandon’s rich histories and connect with craftspeople past and present.”

Rich adds: “I’m particularly interested to see how people relate to Clandon, and how I will feel about not being in control of the outcome. I love being with my colleagues and the contestants on the Great Pottery Throw Down, but generally I tend to work alone, and my pieces are self-directed, so being led by how others respond to the house and its stories will be a great new experience for me.”

Rich will oversee the production of one bust a year for the next five years. The completed series will be on display as part of Clandon’s planned re-opening in 2029.

Rich Miller

After studying ceramics at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design, Rich has been running Froyle Tiles, a handmade tile company based in Hambledon for nearly two decades. Specialising in the bespoke production of high fired stoneware tiles, they have to date carried out a range of commissions for a variety of notable architects and designers. He also currently fulfils the role of judge on Channel 4's programme The great Pottery Throwdown which is due to return to Channel 4 in spring 2026.