Hornsea "Heirloom (Blue)"

Hornsea Heirloom Blue is one of the three main Heirloom colourways produced by Hornsea Pottery, alongside the better known brown and green versions. Designed by John Clappison and introduced in the late 1960s, Heirloom became one of Hornsea’s great tableware successes, and the blue version gives the pattern a particularly striking, more dramatic look.

The design is instantly recognisable for its repeated stylised motif and clean, well balanced shapes. On the blue version, the decoration is set against a strong deep blue ground, giving the range a bold and confident appearance while still keeping the familiar practicality that made Heirloom so popular. Like the other Heirloom colourways, it was produced using Hornsea’s distinctive glaze resist printing method, which helped give the design its crisp, slightly embossed character.

Heirloom was an important range for Hornsea and was exported widely, especially to markets such as Australia, Canada and the USA. Although brown and green are more often seen today, the blue version has become especially sought after. It was less fashionable at the time than the warmer colourways, but that relative scarcity is part of what makes it so appealing now to collectors and long time Hornsea buyers.

As a discontinued Hornsea Pottery range, Heirloom Blue is now highly desirable for those looking for replacement china to complete, extend or refresh an existing set. Availability can vary considerably from piece to piece, and the blue version is generally harder to track down than the brown or green examples, particularly in less common serving and kitchen pieces.

When identifying Hornsea Heirloom Blue, the key things to look for are the familiar Heirloom shape, the repeated geometric style motif and the rich blue colouring that sets it apart from the green and brown versions. It is a distinctive and very collectable variation of one of Hornsea’s best loved designs.