The use of willow for basket weaving goes back hundreds of years and the centre of the UK’s willow industry is the Somerset levels where there are over 140,000 acres of wetlands. These wetlands were originally marshes but over the last 200 years these have been progressively drained principally to create cattle grazing meadows but also willow growing areas (withy beds). The processed willow is used for basket ware for dozens of different products including furniture, garden screens, lobster pots and more recently willow coffins.  A good way to find out about the willow industry and the Somerset levels wetlands is to visit the Coates Willow and Wetlands Visitor Centre at Stoke St Gregory near Taunton, TA3 6HY (free entry!). Their website is at www.englishwillowbaskets.co.uk. Here you can see willow growing, being sorted, debarked, boiled and woven into baskets. There is an exhibition and museum of wetland history including explanations of eel-catching, fowling, drainage and willow processing.

 
Willow is planted in withy beds in rows and is cut either once a year or every two years depending on the size needed. At certain times it can grow almost an inch a day. Once planted and established the stool or base is productive for about 20 years. The willow beds depend on being low-lying for their water supply and are prodigiously productive – 17,000 plants per acre producing about ten shoots each year mean that a site like the Coates’ Willow Centre with about 85 acres can produce over 10 million willow shoots each year.

The main species grown for basketware is Salix triandra (Black Maul) whilst for sticks Salix viminalis (Bowles Hybrid) is preferred. The withy beds are set out in rows leaving space for workers and equipment. Special cutting machines can harvest the willow, which is then dried and sorted. After that it needs to be boiled to make it workable and it needs to be debarked. If it is boiled before debarking the tannin in the bark stains the willow. You will often see this stained willow in furniture and basketware.

At the Willow and Wetland centre you can buy willow weaving equipment and tools such as a bodkin: a sharp tool used in basket weaving for making a gap to push a willow rod into. Surprisingly two thirds of the income earned by the Coates Willow business comes from the production of willow charcoal for artists to use. Virtually any willow charcoal bought in the UK will have been produced here, even if it is sold under another brand name. Coates also export this artists’ charcoal to 36 countries and supply a third of the world market.

Whilst willow production in the Somerset levels is intensive and highly organised, the small woodland owner can use some of these ideas and can use willow to make screens and primitive basket ware. Even without boiling and debarking the willow can still be woven very effectively immediately after it has been cut.