Poole Pottery "Sea Crest"

Poole Pottery Sea Crest was designed by Tony Morris and Guy Sydenham, and forms part of a small group of Poole tableware accessories produced around 1967 to 1968. It sits alongside the related Blue Lace range, with both designs appearing on distinctive accessory shapes rather than as full dinner services.

The design is highly individual, with a mottled green glaze effect that has an almost coral-like or sea-worn appearance. Poole used olive green and ice green glazes in combination, creating a textured surface with natural variation from piece to piece.

Sea Crest was used on a selection of practical tableware accessories, including pieces such as cruet sets, storage jars, sandwich trays, salad bowls, butter boxes and other serving items. This makes it rather different from Poole’s standard dinner ware patterns, as it was more of a complementary accessory range than a complete table setting.

For collectors, Sea Crest is an interesting part of Poole’s late 1960s output, showing the factory experimenting with more textured glaze effects and modern accessory forms. The combination of unusual shapes, strong glaze character and the Morris and Sydenham design connection makes it especially appealing.

As a discontinued Poole range, Sea Crest is now seldom seen. Availability depends entirely on what becomes available through the pre-loved market, and individual pieces may only appear from time to time. Because the glaze is naturally variable, differences in tone, speckling and finish are part of the design’s character.