Traditional Crafts Weekend

As well as being havens for wildlife, wetlands are also crucial for humans. For thousands of years, wetlands have provided the raw materials to feed, clothe and house people. Our traditional country crafts weekend celebrates this aspect of wetlands with a number of demonstrations relating to rural and wetland crafts.

The fair is opened by Fuller’s Shire horses on Saturday and the Hammersmith Morris Men end the revels on Sunday afternoon. Come along to see skilled professionals demonstrate their crafts and maybe even have a go at them yourself.

• Coracle making and demonstration
• Decoy duck carving
• Silk painting
• Felt making
• Stained glass making
• Ceramics
• Jewellery recycling
• Mosaic making
• Willow weaving and basket making
• Spinning, weaving and knitting
• Painting and sketching

Saturday
11am – 4pm Meet the gentle giants – Shire horses from Fuller’s Brewery. Griffin and Pride are Fuller’s two dray horses. In years gone by, these horses delivered beer to local pubs, in the days before motor engines.

Sunday
11.30am – Eel talk. Find out how eels were traditionally caught in wetlands, why they’re now under threat, and how the Environment Agency and others are working to halt their decline. You may also be able to see some of these amazing animals close up.
1.30pm – Regenerating Britain’s Rivers talk. How traditional fly fishing has led anglers to play a vital conservation role.
2.30pm – Hammersmith Morris Men will be performing in the Courtyard.