Anna Lewington

Having researched and written about the practical importance of plants to people as a profession, my interest in rushes began as an ethnobotanist and writer, many years ago, following involvement with a Kew project to evaluate the commercial importance of plant resources in Britain.

On moving to north Dorset in 1998, I was intrigued to discover large stands of club rush (Schoenoplectus lacustris) growing in our local river, the Stour, and that rushes had been harvested in particular places along it for use in basketry, matting and chair seating, for hundreds of years, activities that ended in 1964 when the last local rush cutter, Ron Crew, died.

I was smitten and began to learn rush work myself, joining the BA in 2006 and attending numerous courses and workshops.  I was greatly inspired and helped by those who were already BA members in learning both to harvest (on the River Isle in Somerset) and use rushes - outstanding memories including spending one weekend with master rush cutter and worker Felicity Irons and another on a fantastic course 'Get Knotted' with the amazing Tim Johnson.

Inspired by Felicity's foresight and passion to continue the ancient rush-based industry that had been centred on the river Ouse in Bedfordshire, my idea was to try to set up a community project to revive rush cutting and rush work in the part of Dorset I live in, and to reintroduce at least some of the skills of rush work to children in particular.

Research and consultation with schools, businesses and people from a variety of backgrounds revealed much local interest in the aims of the project, and following consultation with the Environment Agency, the Dorset Wildlife Trust, local farmers, landowners, anglers and others, permission was given for the river to be accessed and the rushes cut in several locations.

It was fortunate that at that time an EU funding initiative (the Dorset Chalk and Cheese LEADER + programme) existed, encouraging local projects of this kind and, following my successful application to it and the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) I was able to fund the setting up of 'RushWorks' in April 2006.

Working from two former cow sheds at Gold Hill Organic Farm in Child Okeford, it operated as a community project for some two and a half years. Numerous workshops for adults were held and many local schools were visited, enabling children of all ages, from primary to sixth form, to experience the joy of working with rushes.

Now based at home in Sturminster Newton, I've continued to run workshops since that time - usually making baskets by working around a wooden block - either travelling to different locations or running day courses from our studio here.  

• Basketry
• Hedgerow
• Natural Fibres
• Rush (Basketry)
• Straw
• Traditional