Journal
Archaeologists Making Baskets
A crisp cold November morning and I’m meeting a group of archaeologists at Fort Cumberland in Portsmouth for a day of basketmaking. During our discussions and through the making itself, a couple of very interesting revelations happen over the day, which make…
Looped Cordage: Netted Bags
After a day of making cordage from foraged plant fibres, my grubby fingernails show evidence of all the separating and scraping. Once you’re committed to the steady, repetitive nature of prepping and twining cordage, it’s a deeply satisfying process. So much so that…
Making an Ash Pack Basket
For ages I’ve been wanting to make a pack, or back, basket from wood splints. They’re best made in the spring when the sap’s rising, so earlier this year I took a trip to the woods near Bath for a few days to make one. There’s a long tradition of black ash splint…
Nests in Nets
I’ve returned to Wakehurst on a bright autumn day to see if the rumours are true. One of my areas of research for this project was looking at nests. And that’s why I’m back today. I’ve heard birds have nested in the work I made. My godson…
A Song for all Foraging
It’s a busy time for foraging plant materials right now. The plants have made all the vegetative growth they’re going to make this year. And now they’re setting seed. Over the past months I’ve logged key spots in my mental map of the neighbourhood, spots where certain…
Stonehenge: Neolithic Basketry
During the Neolithic time at Stonehenge, there would have been willows growing on the banks of the river Avon, which ran right by the houses situated at nearby Durrington Walls. These are the Neolithic dwellings that have been reconstructed at Stonehenge visitors…
Forage of the Month
Forage of the Month- July
Nettle Seeds. Nettles are a truly amazing plant. They’re a valuable food source for key butterfly species, and also edible for humans, plus their fibres are very strong and good for making cordage and textiles. Over recent years, the big nettle patch at the end of my…
Forage of the Month- February
Bramble Tips Lots of us know bramble as the blackberry bush, the one that gives us those delicious autumnal berries that stain our fingers and tongues. Bramble plants are vigorous and plentiful in their growing habit, and the hardiness of the plant means it has a…
Forage of the Month – July / August
Pendulous Sedge Crackers. These taste delicious and are easy to make. I experimentd to create a savoury and a sweet version, and my recipes are inspired by Mo Wilde and Pascal Bauder. Pendulous sedge ( Carex pendula ), also known as weeping sedge, is native to the UK…