Description
Wild Basketry & Foraging Day
Ancestral Skills • Wild Food • Slow Living
EARLY BIRD PRICE
Early Bird Price: £95 – available for first 3 days
(Klarna and PayPal payment plans, available at checkout)
After this, the price will be £115
Weave your own basket. Share a seasonal lunch. Then head into the wild and fill it with wild treasures.
There is something deeply satisfying about gathering wild food in a basket you’ve woven yourself.
Before supermarkets, before plastic, before backpacks, our ancestors looked to the hedgerows and woodlands for the materials they needed, weaving willow, bramble, dogwood and other wild plants into baskets that carried the harvest of each season.
Thousands of years later, remarkably little has changed.
For one special day, you’ll slow down, reconnect with these ancestral skills, and continue a tradition that has endured for millennia.
The basket you leave with won’t just hold wild food, it will hold the memory of the day you made it.
Frame basketry is one of humanity’s oldest crafts, found in cultures all over the world. These simple yet remarkably functional baskets were among our ancestors’ very first tools, helping them gather food, carry belongings and live from the land.
Thousands of years later, one thing hasn’t changed.
A basket can still only be made by human hands.
Join us for a unique day in Cumbria where you’ll reconnect with this ancient skill before heading into the landscape to use your basket as it was always intended.
LOCATION:
Brampton, Cumbria.
(full address given upon booking)
Sunday 6th September 2026
9am-5pm
Around 8 hours.
Morning: Learn the ancient craft of frame basketry
Expert basket maker Sara from Little Black Van will guide you through creating your own beautiful mini frame basket using traditional techniques.
Working primarily with willow, you’ll also discover how wild materials such as bramble can be incorporated into the weave when available, creating baskets that reflect the landscape around us.
Throughout the workshop you’ll learn the fundamental construction techniques that form the basis of countless basket shapes and sizes, giving you the confidence to continue exploring this wonderful craft beyond the day.
All materials and tools are provided, although if you have your own snips or secateurs you’re welcome to bring them along.
A seasonal lunch
We’ll pause to enjoy a homemade seasonal lunch together, with time to chat, relax and admire everyone’s creations before heading out into the afternoon.
Afternoon: Forage with your handmade basket
With your newly woven basket in hand, we’ll head into the Cumbrian countryside on a guided Wild Roots foraging experience.
You’ll learn how to identify seasonal edible plants, fruits and fungi (depending on what nature has to offer), alongside their folklore, history and traditional uses.
There’s something rather special about gathering wild food in a basket you’ve woven yourself just a few hours earlier.
It’s a connection to the landscape that’s difficult to put into words until you’ve experienced it.
What’s included
- Full-day experience (9:00am–5:00pm)
- Basket weaving workshop with Sara from Little Black Van
- All willow, natural materials and tools provided
- Your own handmade mini frame basket to take home
- Homemade seasonal lunch
- Guided Wild Roots foraging walk
- Refreshments throughout the day
Who is this for?
No previous experience is needed.
Whether you’re curious about traditional crafts, fascinated by foraging, or simply looking for a memorable day immersed in nature, you’ll leave with new skills, wonderful memories and a basket that will accompany you on adventures for years to come.
A basket tells a story.
The first chapter begins the moment you weave it.
The next begins when you take it into the wild.
PLEASE NOTE
The car park at the beginning of the walk offers free parking and there is also street parking nearby. I strongly encourage car sharing/public transport/walking/cycling.
Wild Food & Drinks
As usual, we will be providing some wild food tasters.
Please do let us know well of any allergies.
We are unable to cater for dietary needs without plenty of notice, as the dishes are planned and food sourced in advance of event.
Event will be around 8 hours long and there is free parking available onsite. The exact location will be emailed to you upon booking.
Please remember to check your junk folder for event info and opt-in to receiving emails from me at checkout, to make sure you receive all your event info!
Only 15 Spaces
booking early is essential to secure your space.
You can select the PayPal Pay in 3 option to make the cost of the event more manageable.
Please refer to our CANCELLATION POLICY before booking.
We are unable to refund last minute cancellations, so you might want to have a look through this, first.
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