Wheatcroftwillow

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Stoke-on-Trent
Wheatcroftwillow

I make all kinds of traditional English baskets for commission and other willow items such as sculpture and plant supports.

I also provide workshops to all ages and abilities in willow work and basketry.

03/10/2026

I have a few ose baskets for sale on my website, made this summer and another one in progress. I make them curvy and rotund, delicious shapes that I love coming back to in my work. I use fine weavers and they need to be well soaked to go around those tight turns without cracking.
I cut my willow in January and I usually spend 3 or 4 days in spring making up hoops for courses for the year ahead.
These two are up on the website now to buy.
Alternatively you can book onto my course on march 19th and 20th next spring to make your own. Link to my shop in the bio.
This Sunday I will be at the Festival of wood and Country crafts / the Stick Show in Bakewell if you fancy a little trip out.
Also enjoy this photo of Tess and Jess enjoying the sunshine outside the workshop 😀

28/09/2026

Big old hoverfly, Volucella pellucens on the ivy that is just flowering outside the workshop in tge sunshine. It was was a mass of hoverflies, hornets, butterflies and the odd bee.
Also the biggest oak leaf I have ever seen. Hardly any acorns this year but some big leaves!!

23/09/2026

A lovely week ( and a bit) . The staffs basketmakers group paid a visit to the flax project of Karina at .at.highleas and had a go at all stages of the process from extracting seed, crushing and winnowing ( obviously went down a rabbit hole of researching winnowing baskets), to processing the flax.
Heartwood is a wonderful project championing people and wildlife friendly regenerative farming. I definitely need to return!
Then I ran a mini hazel in a day course with Tara Sills and Russell, we had all weather's, but we were kindly loaned the new bbq shed Foxtwood Holiday Cottages delightful holiday cottages next door hidden in the lovely woodland. They both made lovely little mini bowls with the hazel they processed.
I also got to go down into the bottom of the lock by my workshop with Paul and Steph from StephPaul Dudley
And Emma from Hettys Tea Shop and Clive and Alison from Foxtwood Holiday Cottages. The project manager showed us the skilled work needed to replace the lock gates.
Autumn is upon us, the Equinox today. I love autumn, cold swims, beautiful leaves, apples and jumpers. Yum.
Thanks to Emma, Angela, Kelly and Wayside Willow for some of the pics.

17/09/2026

I've had a busy few weeks ( and weekend) so I took the morning off, lay in bed til 9 (disgraceful) and then took the doggies out for a lovely 2 hour amble in the woods, stopping for spaniel ball hunting and taking pictures of lovely things, seeing, smelling, listening and breathing. I could feel my shoulders relaxing and my busy brain untangling. Just what I needed. Back to normal service tommorow.

13/09/2026

Here at Venue 34 Wirksworth Festival today. Come and say hello to me and HARRIET ECCLESTON LTD with her responibilty crafted garments, heavily inspired by her great grandfather's tailoring work. Her materials are ethically sourced.
I have a selection of willow and wood baskets for sale.
It's also my BIRTHDAY so come and make my day and buy a basket !

11/09/2026

Found this huge, vivid green, beautiful liverwort on a rock in the stream by my worksop yesterday morning. How beautiful. I am hugely inspired by my daily walks and the nature I find around me in the quiet, hidden places of the ChurnetValley
It's almost temperate rainforest in the bottom of the valley and it feels like time forgot. I spend many hours foraging for old pottery, interesting sticks and plants and there are a couple of places where I'm allowed to cut hazel for my work.
See me and hundreds of other artists at the Wirksworth Festival this weekend. See the website for all the details, me and HARRIET ECCLESTON LTD are in the Glenorchy Centre in the town chatting to visitors with a display of our latest work.

05/09/2026

My next event is the in Derbyshire next weekend 12th and 13th September.
I am so looking forward to this event. I once appeared there many years ago in the market place but this time I have a beautiful venue the Glenorchy centre in town kindly hosted by Ray.
I'm sharing the venue with HARRIET ECCLESTON LTD so I'm in good company.
I'm making behind the scenes, splitting wood, weaving willow, creating new products and thinking about how to display everything.
Looking forward to seeing customers old and new

02/09/2026

When I was younger and skint, I used to buy the odd copy of Country Living UK | magazine and lust over the pretty cottages, gardens, artisans and their studios and dream of having my work featured in its pages.
Well, I was really excited to be told that one of my backpacks was possibly going to be featured in the October edition on seasonal buys for embracing autumn's riches. And my friend Claire Parton messaged me to say did I know it was in there when she got her early edition as a subscriber. Thanks Claire x
My 15 year old was mildly impressed 😆
Photo by Jenny Harper

31/08/2026

My heart is full after a fantastic baskety week.
Firstly, 3 days learning beautiful skeined frame basketry from Benjamin Nauleau, a generous and knowledgeable teacher. I learned so many skills and new tricks about splitting hazel, rib dressing, frame basket design and formers and of course making those beautiful skeins.
Thank you so much Benjamin Nauleau , Janet Sampson - Basketmaker , Mandy Coates and Pebs for hosting at Elwy Working Woods
And to my fellow students for food, skill sharing, laughter and sharing. Only the best people can geek out over what phase of the moon is best for winter cutting hazel 😊
Then, onto Tear Up - Willow & Fibre Festival curated by
I didn't take many photos but I had the best time on the Wood Water Weave stand in the split wood area curated by Lorna Singleton So amazing to see our www students work together dressed beautifully by Sandra .and.weave .
Angela gave a fantastic talk on the lost swill of Sheffield, I taught a hazel taster course, Lorna was demonstrating her oak magic and Michelle Mateo was teaching an ash course and ash pounding on the Sunday.
We were lucky enough to have Micah Wiles demonstrating his rib making and oak dressing skills and I am so happy to have met Hege Iren Aasdal who is one of my absolute heroes 😊.
So many amazing makers and skills. I didn't get around the whole event there was so much to see, but managed a lovely brush making course with Amy Leake Amy who was a fab and patient teacher even though I was so slow.
I have so many ideas buzzing around in my brain, it will take me ages to process.
There is too many people to tag here and thank but 🙏

Address

Stoke-on-Trent
ST102HL

Website

http://www.wheatcroftwillow.co.uk/

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