A family business for over 65 years, the first Winstanley cats were created by Jenny Allen (nee Winstanley) as long ago as 1958. Initially known as Kensington Pottery, the business prospered, thanks in no small part to the fabulous cats created by Jenny. The business moved to North Walsham in Norfolk and rebranded using Jenny's maiden name.
Some images of The Cat Pottery, North Walsham
Supplying mainly wholesale, the pottery built up a carefully curated network of retailers, including in the USA and Japan.
A couple of Winstanley Cats - good likenesses of our own Alfie & Charlie
Jenny sadly died in a car accident in 2004 but the Pottery remained within the family and is currently run by son, Nick. The Cat Pottery in North Walsham is where the cats are made and it's a fascinating place to visit. A mixture of retail premises, manufacturing unit, and museum, it also has the air of a junkyard, populated with an eclectic mix of railway signs and memorabilia, plus a good scattering of Winstanley pottery cats and other creatures, in varying states of health.
If you can't get to North Walsham, The Cat Gallery offers a regularly refreshed Winstanley Cat Collection .
A recent selection of Winstanley Cats (all sold within 72 hours)
In 2025 The Cat Gallery commissioned The Cat Pottery to create a range of Winstanley Lucky Cats. Based on one of the owners' own cats, The Cat Gallery's Original Lucky Cat has proved to be hugely popular with visitors to The Cat Gallery shop in York. The full Lucky Cat Collection is now also available online.