Hazel Basketry: Reviving an Endangered Craft
Hazel basketry, a traditional craft deeply rooted in the cultural and natural heritage of the UK, is experiencing a renaissance through the efforts of dedicated makers. This traditional craft involves weaving baskets and other items using hazel rods, a resilient and flexible material harvested from native hazel trees. In recent years, hazel basketry has been classified as an endangered craft and was almost lost completely before its revitalisation by a number of determined and skilled craftspeople.
The revival of hazel basketry has been significantly supported by the efforts of skilled artisans and educators such as Lewis Goldwater, Clare Revera, Ruth Pybus, and David Brown. Goldwater has been instrumental in bridging the gap between traditional craft and contemporary ecological awareness, emphasising the sustainability of hazel basketry in his teaching and practice. Revera, a renowned Welsh basket maker, has worked tirelessly to document traditional techniques and adapt them to modern contexts, ensuring the craft's accessibility to new audiences. Pybus and Brown’s work has focussed on the link between basketry and traditional woodland management, emphasising the importance of sustainable coppicing practices to provide high-quality materials for basketry.
Lorna Singleton, at work in her studio.
The work of these makers has created a network of skills sharing and, most importantly, generated enthusiasm for this underutilised and beautifully sustainable technique.
The Heritage Crafts Association’s Red List of Endangered Crafts is a resource that identifies traditional crafts at risk of extinction in the UK. First published in 2017 and updated periodically, the list highlights crafts that face threats such as a lack of skilled practitioners, limited demand, and environmental challenges. Hazel basketry, practised for centuries, is among the crafts listed as critically endangered...
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Image Credits:
Lead image: Hazel Basket by Lorna Singleton
All other images as credited in photo captions.