United Kingdom · Basketry; Willow growing; Somerset heritage
Somerset Withy Growing and Willow Basketry
The growing, processing and weaving of basket willow ('withies') on the peat moors of the Somerset Levels, England. Willow is grown as an annual crop in beds cut to the ground each winter, then sold brown, buff, steamed or white and woven into baskets, hampers, hurdles, furniture and garden items. Somerset is described by its producers and by the trade information site Basketry & Beyond, as the main commercial basket-willow area left in the UK. The industry once supplied a large wicker-furniture trade that has since collapsed.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not listed. Heritage Crafts (UNESCO-accredited NGO) assesses basket making in general as 'Currently viable'; related willow crafts are rated more at risk (see Sustainability Notes).
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