Weaving a Bronze Age, Willow Eel Trap

Basketmaker Sue Kirk (www.suekirkwillowbaskets.co.uk) weaves willow to re-create a 3500 year old eel trap. The basket was designed from photographs of original remains found at Must Farm in Whittlesey, near Peterborough. Various basketry techniques, evident in the remains, were used to make the eel trap such as; an under foot base; randing; lock joins; three rod wale; track border and a rope handle. Most of these weaves have remained the same to this day. The willow rods used to make the new eel trap were grown on a willow bed in King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire. The willow is harvested in January and allowed to dry out before being re-soaked prior to weaving. Each rod is carefully selected for length and thickness . It is evident that this same  process of material preparation and selection was used thousands of years ago due to the uniformity of the weave in the original eel trap remains.