Scorching temperatures mean Charlotte Manser is unable to fire the kilns because the computers cut off when the room becomes too hot.

The 31-year-old said she has been operating at one fifth of her capacity since May due to the prolonged heat.

With temperatures inside the workshop hitting over 40 degrees in recent weeks, this has meant she is only able to fire one kiln at a time.

Charlotte Manser in Charlotte Manser Ceramics which is based in a barn in Wantage (Image: Steven O’Gorman / SWNS)

Now, Charlotte Manser Ceramics which is based in a barn near Wantage, is struggling with added costs, reduced hours and a huge backlog.

Ms Manser said: “There are quite a few challenges when you are firing five different kilns and they turn off when the room gets too hot.

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“Since the middle of May really we have been at really low capacity with our firing. It significantly lowers the amount of stock we produce.

“The room is hot and we are also unloading a kiln which is hot.

“It is too uncomfortable and we are just not prepared for this weather as a country and as a business.”

Charlotte Manser (Image: Steven O’Gorman / SWNS)

Ms Manser, who started her business six years ago, said she has tried to fix the issue with air con units and extractor fans but the barn is still too hot.

She has looked at getting more ventilation for the room to draw the hot air out, but they were quoted £10,000 for this to be installed.

The potter has been working early hours from 6am to try and avoid the peak of the heat, but sending her five staff members home early is costing her even more money.

It is also costing her double to fire the kilns, due to the price of re-heating them after they had turned off.

She added: “It is quite a significant cost for a small business.

“We have had to send staff home early which is then an expense for me because I still have to pay them but they are not producing.

“It is my responsibility to make sure my employees are in a safe place. When people are getting so hot that they are getting headaches then that is not a safe environment.”

The business is also making much less money, as they have been producing less stock and have needed to cancel pottery classes due to the conditions.

The company would normally fire around 2,000 products a week, but are now making closer to 500.

Charlotte Manser (Image: Steven O’Gorman / SWNS)

At this time of year, which is usually a quieter season, they would be preparing for their peak time of Christmas, but they have been unable to due to the backlog.

The delay has also meant Ms Manser was unable to take on a wholesale order for September – costing tens of thousands of pounds alone.

She said it is time consuming sending emails to customers to inform them that their products are being delayed.

Ms Manser said: “This is the third month of it being just unbearable. It is just creating such a backlog.

“Our turnover can increase three times in the months over Christmas. We just haven’t got the kiln capacity at the moment to be able to prepare.

“It is very nice for your social life when the weather is sunny but as a business it is a bit stressful.”

The business has faced weeks of this issue in previous years, but never as long as three months.

Despite the troubles, the businesswoman is not worried about the future, as she says she knows how to adapt.

The art lover started making pottery on a broken pottery wheel in her grandad’s shed, and adapted her business to be online during the pandemic.

She added: “I know that we are really adaptable. That is a skill you have to develop when you are running a small business.”

While the riverside town has lots of popular cafes in and around the market place, and plenty of thriving pubs and barbers, some businesses have closed, with others set to shut.

It emerged earlier this month that American coffee chain Starbucks is expected to shut its branch in the market place in September, and the British Heart Foundation shop in Bury Street precinct is due to close in December.

READ MORE: US coffee chain pulls out of town market place

Some shops have already shut – Lottie’s Bakeaway selling cupcakes and drinks in Stert Street closed earlier this month, alongside gifts and accessories shop The Finishing Touch.

British Heart Foundation in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Pablo Lounge, a cafe and bar on the corner of Bury Street next to the market place, closed a year ago and has not been replaced.

And the T&G Jones chain, formerly WH Smith, is in financial difficulties, which could place the town’s branch in the precinct under threat of closure.

The former Peacock’s clothes shop, also in the precinct, closed in 2021.

Lottie’s Bakeaway in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Ian Collett, who runs The Bookstore in the precinct, said when retail units in the town close, they could stay empty for a long time.

Ian Collett, owner of The Bookstore in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

He added: “It’s not a particularly attractive financial climate for new businesses right now.

“High street retail is tough – my business rates have more than doubled in the past year.

“Hospitality venues have been given a reduction in business rates, but so far there’s nothing for shops.

“We have also had to face a rise in national insurance and an increase in utility bills.

“The fact that we are seeing a growing number of empty units reflects how difficult it is out there, particularly for independent businesses.”

The former Pablo Lounge unit in Bury Street, Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Mr Collett added: “A town like Abingdon relies on having a good mix of independent shops but perhaps we are not getting enough support.

“Other towns have longer free parking in their council car parks – we only have an hour and if it was longer it would encourage more people to come here to shop and stay for a cup of coffee.”

It is not only shops and cafes in the town which have closed – the NatWest bank branch shut last year, and the building in the market place has remained empty ever since.

The NatWest bank in Abingdon Market Place (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Price’s Stationers, a family-run business traded in Stert Street for 31 years until it shut in 2021 and has remained unused.

The former Abingdon Sports shop in High Street, which became a grocery store for a short time, is expected to become a nursery business.

There have been a number of business success stories as well as closures – Jill Carver’s Added Ingredients deli returned to Stert Street last year following a break, and the Cay Khe Vietnamese cafe and noodle bar, has also proved popular.

Staff at Missing Bean, an independent cafe in Stert Street, recently celebrated its fifth birthday.

And Brown’s Traditional Butchers has opened in Bath Street, attracting queues of customers.

The item is listed on the online marketplace for 400,000 times its face value and features the Battle of Hastings on one side.

With Queen Elizabeth II on the back, the coin dates back to 2016.

The description of the item reads: “The Battle of Hastings 50p coin is a unique and collectable piece that celebrates a significant event in British history.

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A general photo of the type of coin for sale. (Image: eBay)

“Minted with a fineness of 0.925, this coin featuring Queen Elizabeth II is a symbol of Great Britain’s rich heritage and historical significance.

“The coin is ungraded and comes uncertified, adding to its rarity and value for collectors and enthusiasts of British decimal coinage.”

It is listed for £200,086.70 or the best offer, while delivery is priced at £3.80 for the coveted item.

Similar coins have been listed from Oxfordshire sellers on the platform.