|
|
| |
About
Us
The Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre is the home of P.
H. Coate & Son, founded by willow grower and merchant
Robert Coate in 1819, and still run by the Coate family today.
When Kathleen Boobyer, daughter of well known willow grower
and furniture maker Edmund Boobyer, married Percy Coate in
1940, the joining of the two families created the present
company.
|
The Somerset Levels
Is the most important wetland
area in the U.K. This unique landscape provides the perfect
conditions for willow growing. Basket making willow, known
as "Withies", have been grown here for two centuries,
and it is now the only area left where it is still cultivated
for the production of baskets, furniture, garden items and
high quality artists' charcoal. Here indeed is the heart of
the English willow industry, an industry that in many ways
has not changed for centuries.
|
 |
| |
Production of Withies
Willow grows extremely quickly,
in one growing season which lasts from late May to early October
a single rod can reach up to 8ft long. New willow beds are planted
in the spring using pieces of willow from the crop harvested
during the preceding winter. The new willow bed will not be
fully productive in the first three years, but once it is well
established, with careful management the plants can last up
to 30 years.
|
Harvesting Withies
Each mature plant or "stool"
gives rise to over 30 rods. The crop is harvested each winter
time after the leaves have died and fallen, these old leaves
provide nutrients for the following years, eliminating the
need for artificial fertilisers.
The willow beds provide homes and shelter for many species
of birds and animals during the summer months. Willow growing
is part of the rich environmental heritage of this area
of Somerset. Both the commercial willow crops, or beds and
the pollarded willow trees contribute to the character and
image of the region.
Machines are now used for cutting the withies and stripping
off the bark, but in many ways the industry has hardly changed.
|
|
 |
Basket
Making
The team at P. H Coate & Son, are specialist basket makers
with 180 years experience between them.
|
| Production
of Artists' Charcoal
Once the crop is harvested it undergoes various processes
in preparation for turning into charcoal. This includes boiling
the rods for ten hours to soften the bark so it can be removed
by special machines. The processed rods are then cut into
regular length pieces that will soon become the familiar charcoal
sticks. The cut pieces of willow are graded according to diameter
and packed tightly into cooking tins.
As the full length rods are tapered along their length, the
pieces from the top of the rod become thin charcoal and the
pieces at the bottom of the rod become the thick charcoal,
with the pieces in the middle becoming medium charcoal. |
 |
Once the tins are packed they are made air-tight and then cooked
in custom made kilns for 10 hours. This cooking process is finely
controlled at all times, failure to keep control will result
either in a fire or uncooked willow sticks, which are suitable
for drawing with. A small proportion of the willow crop is left
to grow for two or even three years, these rods are turned into
the very large tree sticks.
As we only produce 100% natural willow charcoal we are unable
to supply charcoal pencils or compressed charcoal sticks.
Pigmentation - colour:
There is more to charcoal than sticks!!
Using powdered charcoal with your fingers. 'finger-paint' style
creates soft, subtle effects. If you feel really creative, why
not try making your own paint by mixing ground charcoal with
a binder substance to make black paint or to darker colours.....
Filtration:
We are able to supply finely ground, powdered charcoal for filtration
purposes. Because of its unique absorption qualities willow
is ideal for filtering.
Fireworks - Pyrotechnics:
Ground charcoal is one of the key ingredients in making Black
Powder. Black Powder known because of its use in explosives
- the Gunpowder Plot and firearms. The charcoal provides lift,
it acts as a propellant. The same lifting qualities that make
charcoal vital to explosives are also valued in the creation
of fireworks. Charcoal helps launch the rockets we enjoy on
bonfire night.
For more information on Coates Charcoal visit our charcoal website
at: www.coatescharcoal.co.uk |
|
|
