Hornsea pottery was set up at Hornsea, Yorkshire in 1949 by Desmond and Colin Rawson. The company always produced earthenware tableware and ornaments in designs fashionable for their time. Hornsea had a London office and showroom in High Holborn.

An additional factory was opened in 1970 in Lancaster to cope with the heavy demand for their popular products. Chief designers were John Clappison, who was the design director, and freelance Martin Hunt who designed the successful 'Concept' range in the mid-1970s.

In 1984 the company was bought by a clothing company, and then sold again a year later resulting in the closure of the Lancaster plant. The Hornsea factory finally closed in 2000.

Marks used until the early 1960s were usually the words 'Hornsea Pottery' with a hunting horn and two wavy lines depicting 'sea'. Later marks were a device like a spearhead and a curl somewhat like a figure 6 on its side.