Norah Braden studied at Central School of Arts and Crafts and Crafts, and later at the Royal College of Art, London. From 1925-28 Braden worked at the Leach pottery in St Ives, and was described by Bernard Leach as his most gifted pupil, before joining Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie at her pottery at Coleshill, Wiltshire. She taught at Brighton School of Art and Camberwell College of Arts until her retirement in 1957. Her work was wood-fired and painted with simple brushwork decoration. Braden was a self critical potter who destroyed work which did not attain her high standards. She ceased potting during the 1950s.