The Village Squire, 1981-07, Page 11The
Pinecroft Pottery
Two tea rooms, a gallery, an enchanted
forest,and of course,a frog
In retirement, deep in a most unlikely
thick pine forest in the midst of rolling
tobacco fields near Aylmer, sits a stately,
solitary green frog. He no longer moves.
In fact, in his entire life, he's only moved
twice, and the latest move, most likely in
the thirties, was his last. Today, though,
he is living quite comfortably off his
name. He's generously consented to lend
it to the nearby Green Frog tearoom,
which is also set within the pines.
Actually Green Frog is just a small part
of a multi -faceted operation which can
generally be referred to as The Pinecroft
Pottery, and his story may be the least
interesting of all involved. The green
cement toad is a bit player in a production
that includes a pottery studio, art gallery
and tearoom, all of which, too, live among
the trees.
The principals here, really, are Jimmie
and Cavvy Clennell, their niece Brenda,
and her husband, Herm Smith. For thirty
years, beginning in 1948, the Clennelis
produced pottery in the setting provided
by Cavvy's father, Brenda's grandfather,
Arthur Caverly. It was he who in the
1920 s planted 100,000 pines which have
grown into the now mature forest. It was
he and his brother who moved a building
which was once part of the Horton Street
Market in St. Thomas to the site of the
thirties. It was he who built the log cabin,
now part of the tearoom, and dredged out
the pond at Pinecroft. And it was he who
arranged green frog's permanent visit
fifty years ago. The carved creature,
originally a mounting block outside a St.
Thomas hotel, was transported to Pine -
croft on a stone boat, and now sits acoss
The Green Frog [above] and potter
Jimmie Clennell [opposite] at the wheel.
[Photos by John Shoveller]
the pond from his tea room. When Green
Frog was added to Pinecroft in 1978,
there were some overtures about having
the stone amphibian leap across the pond
and receive guests at the door. After
consideration of the old timer's weight,
however, the idea was dismissed.
Until a year ago, Cavvy, who is in her
eighties, was up at six preparing
homemade breads, soups, meat pies,
sandwiches and desserts which are
available in the tea room. Those early
morning chores are now assumed by
Herm, who is managing the tea room end
of the operation now and Cavvy has
joined her husband and niece in keeping
up with the heavy demand for pottery.
There are, in fact two tea rooms at
Pinecroft, but neither existed until the
Green Frog was opened three years ago.
Brenda explains the decision to add the
facility was a product of demand. Before,
when pottery was the sole attraction at
Pinecroft, regular bus tours would visit,
and guests would inquire about tea and
light lunches. "That got us to instigate
the tea room," says Brenda.
In its first two years the Green Frog
was open during the summer until
September, since it is a covered open-air
section. Then, last year, when pottery
production was shifted across the pond to
a solid old barn, space was provided for
the Gallery Tea Room. The indoor
lunching spot allowed them to remain
open to December.
At Pinecroft, one lunches at glass -
topped tables set upon sturdy sections of
the Tokay grapevine, the oldest and
largest in the world. The two -century -old
vines, whose whirls and tangles are
evident through the glass surfaces,
originate in California.
Attached to the tea rooms is the art
studio, where for the first time this year,
regular' shows of area artists and
photographers supplement the usual
supplyof excellent pottery. The inaugural
show was by photographer John Shovel-
ler, who also supplied the pictures for the
Pinecroft daytrip.
Moderate prices at the tea room range
from $1.25 for sandwiches to under $3 for
daily specials. Luncheon is from 11 to 2
p.m., and tea is served until 4. Pinecroft
is situated on Roger's Sideroad, just west
of Aylmer, off Highway 3. Phone (519)
773-3435. n
• VILLAGE SQUIRE/JULY 1981 PG 9
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