Greenwood Crafts: A Comprehensive Guide

Description

Britain has a long and rich tradition of woodcrafts and what, since about the 1970s, have been called the 'greenwood crafts'. Greenwood crafts use wood that contains sap and is easy to work with simple hand tools to produce beautiful and useful products. .Discusses all you need to know to get started, including tools, workshops, sourcing wood, making some of your own devices and the characteristics of the various woods .Covers a wide variety of turned and carved items for the house and garden, including kitchen treen and sports equipment .Examines a wide range of greenwood chairs, describes how they are made and highlights the talent and creativity of a number of expert craftspeople in the field .Examines a number of basket-making techniques involving a range of raw materials, form willow to oak via hazel and other hedgerow plants .Considers a range of items for garden and agricultural use such as rustic furniture, wood store, shakes, shelters, fences and basic timber framing .Explores the future of greenwood working, takes a look at some of the new ideas emerging from the sector and includes handy hints on running a greenwood business AUTHOR: Edward Mills purchased his own coppice woodland in the Lake District in 2003 and his wood is frequently used for promoting the benefits of good coppice management. Edward became a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters in 2004. Rebecca Oaks set up her own coppice business in 1994. Mentored by Bill Hogarth, the last active coppice merchant in the north-west of England, she built a business specializing in hazel coppice and coppice crafts. In 2000 she formed the Bill Hogarth MBE Memorial Apprenticeship Trust [BHMAT] and has been running three-year apprenticeships in coppicing ever since. ILLUSTRATIONS: 380 colour photographs

Edward Mills carried out his first coppicing in Essex in 1981, and, ever since, his career has enabled him to carry out coppicing of woodlands in counties all over England. In 2003 Edward purchased his own coppice woodland in the Lake District and is an enthusiastic proponent of all things greenwood. In 2004 he became a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters. Rebecca Oaks set up her own coppice business in 1994. Mentored by Bill Hogarth, the last active coppice merchant in the n-west of England, she built a business specializing in hazel coppice and crafts. In 2000, together with colleagues, she formed the Bill Hogarth MBE Memorial Apprenticeship Trust (BHMAT) and has been running three-year apprenticeships in coppicing ever since. In 2011 she took the decision to pass her business to her apprentice and is now a Forestry Adviser with Cumbria Woodlands.