The U.K .National Willow Collection

Picture on the right: Where basket willows are still grown these days, their bark will be stripped by a rotating drum powered by a tractor or electric motor. In the past this was done by hand. The tool used was called a "Brake". It consists of 2 pieces of round iron bar welded to each other at the bottom to form a narrow V shape. The withy was pulled down the V to split the bark ready for stripping. The peeled 'Whites' were commercially more valuable. The "Buffs" were made by boiling the withy bundles for 8 hours in large tanks before peeling. All the peeled roods need drying in the sun before they are bundled up for sale.

Stripping the Willow

100 year old Collection successfully transferred

The U.K. National Willows Collections, at Long Ashton Research Station, will be no more from March 2003. The Collection was started nearly hundred years ago and found a home at Long Ashton in 1922.

However I am happy to report that, during the Winter of 2001/2002 cuttings from almost the entire Collection were successfully transferred to its sister Institute, IACR Rothamsted Experimental Station.
The remainder has hopefully followed this winter.
This move shows that the near proverbial willingness of willows to root easily from cuttings is a fact.

The collection has over 200 species and hybrids and about 1200 clones. Once more reborn again, the newly planted collection will continue, as both a gene bank and research tool, to support a continuing programme of work using molecular genetics on biodiversity and population biology, rust population genetics, and cultural and biological control strategies.

During its 80 year existence the Willow Officers, such as Ken Stott and Rod Parfitt continued the Long Ashton tradition of research and advice on the cultivation of basket willow. They also conducted trials all over the country to find select fast growing varieties that are suitable for shelterbelts in exposed places.
The Research Station did a lot of work on research into fast growing Willows, in different soils, for use as paper pulp and biomass.
Coppicing techniques and models were investigated, as well as diseases and pests, such as rust. During the last four year DNA technologies were developed, funded by the European Union.

You can visit Rod Parfitt's website "Working Willow" on all aspects of Willow Culture.

Willows in the mist

Willowbeds on King's Sedgemoor near Burrowbridge in Somerset
The main willow growing areas in Britain were the Somerset levels (see picture), although the valleys of the rivers Thames, Kennet, Great Ouse, Cam, Soar, Trent, Stow and Welland were at one time similarly employed.

Past and present

Before the invention of plastic, the Willow family (Salix species) provided us for millennia with baskets, fish-traps, furniture and containers of all sizes and shapes.
In the past people might use whatever pliable long thin sticks were available to make containers, but often each village and neighbourhood had its own basket maker, who would grow and process his own willows according to local traditions.
With the advent of the industrial revolution huge numbers of baskets were required for packing, storing and transporting produce. This started the practice of growing willows as a crop, with specially selected varieties planted in a Willow bed, that would be harvested each year.
The use of Willow is making a bit of a come-back for displaying food and other products, in shops and at home, for aesthetic reasons.
In a world full of mass-produced consumer goods, the natural look of a basket feels reassuring to us.
The huge increase of conservatories and garden products has similarly seen an increase in the popularity of wicker furniture, plant holders and various willow contraptions for plant support.