Month: March 2023

Heritage Crafts Red List

The Heritage Crafts Association is preparing to publish its latest assessment of threatened crafts under its Redist here – http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/. NCFed has been asked to contribute. If you have not already been consulted and think you might fill in any gaps in numbers, individuals or states of crafts, here’s a link to an online survey – https://forms.office.com/e/kAgjDq59PW.

Since the last version, published in April 2021, new crafts have been added to the lists and of course many will have been buffeted by the tides of Brexit and Covid. HCA are particularly keen to have our help in an accurate assessment of Wattle Hurdles and Spars.

This survey is the first of its kind in this place and invites structured attention to some of the wide range of skills and trades derived from stick farming that we discuss here. If you have comments about this work or you or any of your members would like to help NCFed keep an eye on any trade(s) in particular, please email [email protected]. All contributions welcome.

Moss & Height Springs Wood work party dates for your diary

28th March 2023
We need to get the deer fence up round Mike and Dans section at the top of the byway. A mob handed group is required to get this done. Please bring fencing tools if you have them, and gusto. If not there’ll be plenty stuff to do that doesn’t require your own tools. All help appreciated. Start 9.30am

18th April 2023
We’ll tackle the fencing around Lorna’s old coupe that’s now being cut by Andrew.

If you need more details please contact Ian Taylor at [email protected]

Large numbers of hazel rods needed

Iain Patterson from The Crannog Centre is in need of very large numbers of hazel hurdle rods for a project. Splitters & weavers, max diameter 2″ at the butt, will pay £2.00 per rod. He’ll be coming down in a very large van to collect rods from suppliers in Lancs/Cumbria Sunday 26th March. Please contact Iain directly if you are able to [email protected]

An Old Cumbrian Charcoal Burner!

Graeme Lindley has kindly sent in some photos that were given to him by a charcoal customer in Flookborough. Apparently an old relative of hers was a charcoal burner working in South Lakes & she had these old photos that might be of interest! I’ve no further details I’m afraid, but thought some of you might be interested in the glimpse of local history.

The New CANW Newsletter Is Coming…!

We have recruited Emma Groves to produce a newsletter for CANW. There’s loads of interesting stuff going on (we have such interesting members), so it would be good to share the news. If you have any interesting projects on the go or anything to share please get in touch with me ([email protected]) & I’ll forward it on to her.

In anticipation of our member’s collective shyness(!) we have tasked Emma with actively seeking content, which means that she might get in touch with some of you (our members) individually at some point in the year to see what you’re up to & if any content can be generated that way. (If you’d like to opt out of being contacted please let me know & I’ll redact the contact list that she receives.)

NCFed Gathering / AGM

13th to 15th October 2023

We’re hosting the NCFed AGM again! It was a great success last time back in 2015! Workshops, demos, discussion groups, networking, site visits, meet coppice workers from around the country…

  • Does anyone have any super photos of coppice related activities in Cumbria that we could use for event promo? Please email [email protected] if you do.
  • Would anyone like to offer to teach a 1-day pre-gathering course? Please get in touch ASAP if you have something to offer.