The History of British Basket Making

The art of basket making was developed at an early stage of man's evolution. In Britain oak, hazel and willow provided material for making the strong rigid containers necessary in everyday life. Fences and houses, too, were built from wickerwork or wattles. Early baskets were probably much like those found in the farms of highland regions, until the second half of the twentieth century. 'Frame' baskets were constructed with wild materials on simple but time-consuming principles, and in these areas basket making mostly remained a seasonal job reserved for the dark days of winter. In lowland Britain the weaving of willow, using different techniques, developed into a profession and ultimately a sizeable industry.

The number of craftsmen employed and the output of their labours must have been immense, but such are the temporary nature of willow and the humble status of the basket maker that the evidence of the scale of production has all but disappeared. In practically every instance where today one needs cardboard, plastic or plywood for packing material, two hundred years ago this need would have been met by wickerwork.

Fruit and vegetables were gathered from the fields into baskets; fish, poultry and dairy produce were all packed into wicker for the journey to the town markets. Jobs requiring the transport of bulky materials such as manure or rubble needed baskets, and not only were rural items such as animal muzzles, bird traps and beer strainers made of willow, but so were the travelling trunks, hat boxes and umbrella holders of the well-to-do.

Guilds of basket makers were formed. Records show that the Worshipful Company of Basket makers of the City of London was established before 1469. This company was eventually granted a royal charter by George VI in 1937, but by then its old responsibilities had long since been taken on by the trade unions.

Decline of the basket trade has continued throughout the twentieth century for many economic reasons. An economy in which time has much value and quality very little has no place for a durable product that is extremely labour-intensive. Moreover, where the use of wicker has still been viable, the cheapness of foreign labour has often led to basket importation.

Today, accomplished basket makers are few. The blind workshops still produce articles of a robust nature superior in strength to importation, although not necessarily very refined. In comparison many other makers, in attempts to beat importation on the same ground, have taken short cuts and generally lost the merits and quality of traditional willow work.