Willow is a fast-growing shrub that thrives in temperate climates and naturally wet ground, such as riverbanks and floodplains. Grown in neat rows across fields, willow regenerates annually, returning to its original height without the need for replanting. This makes it a highly renewable crop.
Once the leaves have fallen, the willow is ready to harvest. A specially designed tracked machine is used to cut the willow efficiently, while also navigating the often boggy, waterlogged fields. The harvested withies are then carefully gathered into bundles and transported to the next stage of processing.
Each rod is hand-sorted by length and checked for quality, ensuring consistency in the finished material. Sorting by size allows the willow to be used for different purposes within the weaving process. Once graded, the willow is tied into bundles known as ‘wads’.
To remove the bark, the willow is boiled in large tanks. This softens the outer layer, allowing the bark to be stripped away by feeding the rods through rapidly rotating brakes. The length of time spent in the boiling tank also affects the colour of the willow, with longer boils producing a richer, darker hue from natural tannins in the bark.
After stripping, the bare willow is laid out along fences or trellises in the fields to dry naturally in the sun. This drying process helps preserve the quality of the material. Once fully dried and re-bundled, the willow is ready to be woven into our willow coffins.