A Quaint Day Out in Bourne End
A little painting, a browse for something lovely and some time by the Thames: make a half-day of your visit to Bourne End, Buckinghamshire. At The Lemon Tree Pottery Painting Café and gift shop, your main stop is a 90-minute pottery painting session at 27 The Parade.
£5 studio fee per painter, plus pottery chosen and paid for separately. Coffee, hot chocolate and cakes are available to buy while you paint.
Choose your date and book pottery painting
Coming during the school day? Try this as a weekday catch-up with a friend, a date together or an outing with grandparents. Families can follow the same idea at weekends and in the holidays. Check the booking calendar for your preferred date.
Plan to come back: painted pottery stays with us for glazing and firing and is normally ready to collect in around 10 days.
Your half-day in Bourne End
This suggested morning uses our 9:30am painting session. Allow around three hours for the short version, plus your journey. You can also build your visit around a noon or 2:30pm session.
| When | Your plan |
|---|---|
| 9:30–11am | Choose your pottery and paint at The Lemon Tree. Order a drink or treat if you fancy one. |
| After painting | Leave your piece with us for glazing and firing, then have a browse in our gift shop on The Parade. |
| Before heading home | If the weather suits, add a short Thames-side stroll at your own pace. Allow more time if you choose the full walk below. |
Paint something that reminds you of your day
Choose a mug, plate or another ready-made piece from the pottery available in the studio. Paint a simple river-blue pattern, a flower design or your initials. You do not need pottery painting experience, and we can help you get started.
Coming with a baby? Explore our baby handprint and footprint keepsakes and let us know when booking. A piece made together can become a birthday or Christmas gift for someone you love.
Add a Thames walk
Bourne End is a starting point for the Bourne End and Spade Oak Lake walk, which includes a stretch of the Thames Path. For the full route, the published guide suggests 3 miles and around 2 hours, starting at Bourne End railway station. With 90 minutes of painting, allow at least 3½ hours for painting and the full walk alone, plus time for browsing, refreshments and getting between stops.
Prefer just a little fresh air? Choose a shorter out-and-back stretch using the public paths shown in the guide, allowing time to return. The full route includes railway crossings and footbridges with steps, and paths can be muddy. Check the route and conditions before setting out; a stile-free description does not mean every section suits a pushchair or wheelchair. See Walk 16 and its route map.
A little local history: if you pass Bourne End station, look for the heritage board about the Marlow Donkey railway. Buckinghamshire Council’s Follow the Donkey project explains the railway story and its walking trail between Bourne End and Marlow. Treat the full trail as a separate, longer option and check the route before you set off.
A rainy-day version
Keep your pottery session as the main event, enjoy a hot drink while you paint and browse our gift shop. The walk is optional, so you can still enjoy the creative part of your day if the weather changes.
Pottery and a riverside lunch
For a longer catch-up or a daytime date, you could follow painting with Spanish tapas at El Cerdo at Bourne End Marina, on Wharf Lane. Its riverside setting gives you another way to enjoy the Thames. Choose your pottery slot first, then check the restaurant’s current kitchen times and book your meal directly. Lunch is separately booked and paid for; allow extra time beyond the three-hour short itinerary.
Getting here from nearby towns
Find us at 27 The Parade, Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, SL8 5SB. This is an idea for a local outing from Marlow, Cookham, Maidenhead, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe or Henley; choose the journey that works for you.
By train: Bourne End station is on Station Road, a short walk from the café. Check National Rail's station information and journey planner for current services, changes and access information.
By car: Wakeman Road council car park is nearby and charges apply. Check current parking tariffs and allow time to park before your session.
What to budget
The £5 studio fee per painter includes your 90-minute daytime session, paints, glazing and kiln firing. Pottery is extra and is chosen in the café. Drinks, treats, travel and parking are separate. For example, choosing a £20 pottery piece would make your painting visit £25 before refreshments.
Before you book
- Collection: your pottery stays with us and is normally ready to collect in around 10 days. Plan a return visit; it will not be ready to take home on the painting day.
- Children and accompanying adults: include non-painters in your booking; our small studio normally allows up to two. Baby carriers are recommended where possible.
- Groups or access questions: enquire before booking so we can discuss seating and arrangements.
- Weekday options: see more ideas for visiting during term time.
Book the pottery part of your day out
Questions? Call 01628 525609 or email the café.