Devon stave baskets

The Devon stave basket is a wonderfully robust West‑Country design, once found in many farmyards, gathering potatoes, apples or carrying animal feed. It now finds itself on the Heritage Crafts Red List as a critically endangered skill.

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Built around a solid base with upright staves and bent ash bands, these baskets were made in a set of standard sizes, the largest called a “maund”. Today they remain as useful as ever, for garden harvests, carrying logs, collecting wild produce, or adding rustic charm to the home.

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Over two days in Wernog Wood, you will work alongside practising basket maker Mike Church, exploring traditional greenwood techniques as you split, shave and steam‑bend handles and hoops, shape staves, and fit the final ash or willow band. You will leave with your own hand‑made basket, a range of new woodworking skills, and a traditional skill brought to life in a practical and sturdy basket you can use every day.

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19-20 September 2026

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£250

includes tuition fees and materials

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Tea, coffee & simple lunch included for full day courses

We also offer accommodation & evening meals​

Click here to see what we offer

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This course is aimed at adults, aged 18yrs + and is suitable for beginners to those with experience

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Please be sure to read terms & conditions before you book

Mike Church is rooted in heritage skills, especially wood-based basketry assembled from shaped components rather than woven. His approach is closer to careful carpentry than traditional basket making, resulting in exceptionally strong, long-lasting baskets.

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Aged 19, he began a two-year apprenticeship with a Sussex trug maker, working alongside him for a total of seven years, supplying trugs to garden centres, country shows and customers overseas. Mike later moved to Kent, turning his attention to chestnut fencing and paling, as well as another fading heritage skill: producing lathe and plaster for specialist heritage builders merchants.

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Mike connected with Devon stave-basket maker Mark Snellgrove, who rescued this West Country tradition from near extinction. Mark had learned directly from one of the last true makers, Jack Rowsell of Tiverton, who died in the '90s. Jack entrusted him with original jigs and patterns from which these baskets are still made.