Appeal launched to save pottery

The Grade Two listed workshop is badly in need of repair

An appeal is to be launched in an attempt to safeguard the future of a historic Cornish pottery.

An estimated £1m is needed to restore the St Ives-based Bernard Leach pottery , which has fallen into disrepair.

A group has been set up to transform the site into an international centre of excellence for ceramics.

The pottery was established in the 1920s by Bernard Leach, one of Britain's most influential artists and the workshop is Grade Two listed.

Penwith District Council , with the backing of the county council, has agreed to buy a 12-month option on the pottery from its owners.

The year will be spent bidding for grants from organisations including the lottery, the Arts Council and Objective One.

A public appeal will be launched in the next few months.

The aim is to restore the pottery, create facilities for students and attract up to 25,000 visitors a year.