Basketmaking, environmental sculpture, willow, rush and hedgerow basketry in The
United Kingdom.
Book Review: Contemporary International
Basketmaking
by Mary Butcher - This book is published as an exhibition catalogue to accompany the major
touring exhibition Contemporary International Basketmaking organized by the Crafts
Council, London and the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, England.
Laura Ellen Bacon
Willow artist from Derbyshire, England weaves contemporary forms for interiors
and the landscape. She exhibits her work, accepts commissions and conducts a
variety of workshops including living willow installations.
Christine
Brewster
Maker of contemporary functional baskets located in Old Stables Loft, Englefield,
near Reading, Berkshire, UK. Along with offering finished baskets, plant
supports and willow sculptures Christine provides services such as reseating
cane and rush chairs, basket repair, basketmaking and chairseating classes and
workshops, talks and demonstrations on basketmaking, willow weaving or living
willow sculpture projects for activities for children and schools.
Michelle Cain
Willow sculptor and basketmaker from Wales, UK.
Watch
as she creates environmental sculptures such as this
26 foot high wicker otter which stands at the Welsh Wildlife Centre at
Cilgerran, near Cardigan. She also make baskets and teaches both adults and
children.
Adrian
Charlton
Full-time willow basketmaker, teacher and owner of Norfolk Basket Company in the
UK works with his partner and wife Ruth Kidd to grow, harvest, sort and dry over 20
varieties of willow that are used to make baskets to order and teach a full
schedule of basketry courses.
Basketmaker.net
Neil Smith offers a free service to basketmakers and chair seat weavers in the UK. This
site features a photo gallery as well as resources and news of basketmakers and basketry
events in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.
The
Basketmakers' Association
Membership of the Basketmakers' Association is open to all amateur and professional
basketmakers, chair seaters and practitioners of related crafts, students, historians,
collectors and suppliers of materials and goods.
Blackdown Hills Hedge
Association
Group in the Blackdown Hills of Devon, England dedicated to preserving
the craft of hedgelaying, coppicing and hedgerows. They run frequent workshops
such as hedgerow baskets, willow and hazel Sussex trugs, willow sculpture, and woven garden structures.
Eastbridge Willows
This company, based in Surrey, England provides courses and
supplies for willow basketry. Willow varieties
available are suitable for basketry, craft and willow sculpture. Set in
beautiful Hampshire countryside, on the banks of the River Hart, Eastbridge
Willows is now an established centre for crafts and willow horticulture in the
UK.
Mary
Butcher
English willow basketmaker, teacher and author from Canterbury, Kent who works in
traditional and contemporary style. Mary does not maintain her own web site but
a quick
search will turn up much about her extensive work.
The Cane Store
Basketry materials supply store in London, England.
Chair
Seating History - Marshall McGurk
Essay about harvesting, processing of cane and the history of cane as a chair seating
material.
Commonwork
A group of organisations working in education and rural enterprise on an organic
farm in the UK. They offer workshops in green woodworking, coppicing, hurdling,
willow basketmaking, garden structures and more.
The
Crafts Council (UK)
The Crafts Council is the UK’s national organisation for the promotion of
contemporary crafts.
Dane Coppice
Crafts Group (UK)
Group holds workshops for willow basketry, willow sculpture and other
related crafts.
Peter
Dibble
Willow basketmaker from Norwich, England. Trained by his father-in-law Will Berry, a well
respected Suffolk, UK basketmaker, now retired.
Lizzie Farey
Artist and basketmaker from Scotland uses hedgerow materials such as rowan, larch,
dogwood and hazel, as well as Scottish grown willow to create traditional, as
well as contemporary sculptural pieces.
Alison Fitzgerald
Irish willow basketmaker, teacher and proprietor of Greenwood Baskets in Co.
Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Her work has been featured in exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom and
Ireland.
Former
Glory - Restorers of Antiques Cane And Rush
Rush, cane and dyed rye straw seating supplies. Chair seat weaving services. Instructions
on weaving a rush or caned chair seat.
Sally
Goymer
Maker of traditional English willow baskets such as creels, cradles,
hampers, custom kitchen drawers and a full range of baskets made to order.
Jonathan Gordon
Willow basket maker from Suffolk, England offers traditional English
willow hamper, shopper and picnic baskets, along with custom kitchen drawers and
garden trugs.
Caroline Gregson
UK willow sculpture artist and basketmaker creates traditional baskets, screens,
wall pieces and random weave willow pieces in animal and human forms.
Guild
Of Straw Craftsmen
Membership organization in the UK for individuals interested in straw work. Newsletter and
member events. International membership available.
David
Hembrow
This traditional English willow basketmaker from Cambridge, UK is part of a
multi-generation family of basketmakers. A variety of traditional willow baskets
are offered including bicycle, shopping, pet, flower, laundry baskets and a
wheeled willow shopping basket made by David's late father, Gordon Hembrow.
Joe Hogan
Irish willow basketmaker makes both traditional and contemporary baskets using
colorful willow he grows himself. He offers finished baskets and instructional
workshops at his own studio in Loch na Fooey, Co. Galway, Ireland as well as at
various international basketmaking events.
Tim Johnson
Artist, Basketmaker, Photographer and Workshop leader based on Cowes, Isle of
Wight, UK. I particularly love his
image albums.
Padraig Larkin
Basketmaker based in Cloghan, Co Offaly, Ireland who works with willow and
hazel. His site offers information about cultivating willow for basketry along
with a variety of finished willow baskets that are available for sale.
Musgrove
Willows
Established willow growers on the Somerset Levels, UK. Ships
internationally. Web site features pictures of willow products, willow growing
and harvesting.
Out to Learn
Willow
This organization in South Wales specializes in helping schools or community groups to develop their outdoor spaces using living willow structures or dried willow sculptures that naturally enhance school grounds or public places. They also offer a design and build service
as well as willow basketry workshops.
Oxford Summer
School
Located in central Oxford, this school regularly offers basketry
workshops by such notable tutors as Mary Butcher and Polly Pollock.
Jenny
Pearce
Willow basketmaker and teacher based in rural Herefordshire, England. Her work
is based on Celtic and English regional techniques creating both traditional and
contemporary baskets.
PH Coate &
Son
Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre in the Somerset Levels of England is the
home of P. H. Coate & Son. They offer an extensive line of finished English
willow baskets, many types of basketry willow, a full line of willow basketry
tools such as cleave, rapping iron, cow's horn for tallow, bodkin, skeining
shave, bodkin and picking knife.
Scottish Basketmakers
Circle (Scotland)
Membership organization in Scotland offers two meetings each year, local groups,
newsletter, workshops, library, exhibition and sales opportunities along with
easy access to materials and supplies.
Beryl Smith
Basketmaker, weaver and living willow sculptor from Montgomeryshire, Midwales,
UK. She offers finished baskets and workshops featuring willow and hedgerow
materials using traditional basketmaking techniques.
Somerset
Levels And Moors
English willow growing center.
Somerset
Willow Company
Furniture, willow picnic hampers, hot air balloon baskets, small
household baskets including willow kitchen drawers and even willow coffins are
available from this Somerset, England willow
basketry company.
Ruth
Thompson
Willow artist, teacher and craft worker from Hexham, Northumberland, UK offers a
range of ornamental and functional willow structures for both indoors and
outdoors. Operates Sylvan Springs located in North East England.
The
Traditional Heritage Museum
The exhibitions in this English historical museum provide a unique picture of Sheffield handcrafted trades, including basketry and
everyday life in the period 1850-1950.
Lois Walpole
English basketmaker, author and teacher works in willow basketry and sculpture.
Waveney
Rush Industry
The making of hand-woven rush mats and rush baskets is a skill that pre-dates
recorded history. Today there remains only one company in the UK weaving and
selling rush products. Waveney Rush Industry based in Suffolk, England.
Welsh
Basketmakers Group (UK)
The Welsh Basket Makers Group aims to promote the craft of Basket Making, Willow
Growing and allied skills, across Wales.
Clare
Wilks
Willow basketmaker and sculptor living in London, England. Teaches workshops in
garden structures and living willow sculpture.
Willowpool
Designs
Steve Fuller and Simone Siegan from Cumbria work in willow and make and sell a
wide variety of craft items made from living and dried willow rods. They offer
instruction in willow basketry, living sculpture, hedgerow basketry, garden
structures, plant supports and animal sculptures in Britain.
Windrush
Willow
Comprehensive British site dedicated to the craft of willow cultivation and the
use of willow in basketry, garden structures, furniture, lobster pots, living
willow and furniture.
Worshipful Company of
Basketmakers
The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers was constituted by the Court of
Aldermen in 1569 and received its Royal Charter from George VI in 1937. The
Company was formed to regulate and control the basketmaking trade in the City of
London. It maintains a collection of historic baskets and continues to support
education in the field of basketmaking.
Roy Youdale
Working in willow, almost entirely to commission, Roy designs and creates all
his own baskets. He teaches a variety of workshops in willow basketry in and
around Bristol, England.
More Willow Basketry