Alistair Hayhurst – Underwood Crafts

Underwood Crafts

It’s been 25 years of cutting, cleaving, weaving and twisting. I was looking for a path in life that featured craft, sustainability, and traditional handmade skills and have been so very lucky to have found it.  Initially it was hazel and willow hurdles that caught my eye. They fulfilled all of those dreams and goals I had in mind~coppicing hazel in some fabulous ancient woodlands, planting and growing my own willow and continuing in the footsteps of hurdle makers past creating a product of heritage, beauty and simple sustainability.

A favourite these days is in situ work~weaving hazel and willow in all sorts of shapes and heights to suit the landscape and people’s gardens.

Over the years I have included yurt making, cleft fencing, hedgelaying and charcoal burning into the repertoire. To be able to work with different woods depending on the seasons is a beautiful aspect of this work and harvesting the timber myself is fundamental to the whole process as I see the product from its inception to installation.

Gate maker and Sweet Chestnut worker as well..

• Basketry
• Garden Structures
• Living Willow
• Splint Wood / Oak