Willows and Wetlands visitor centre
Encyclopedia
The Willows and Wetlands Visitor Centre is situated at Stoke St Gregory
, on the Somerset levels
, north east of Taunton
. The centre offers tours of over 80 acre (0.125000110521743 sq mi) of withies, willow yards and basket workshops and explains the place of willow in the history of the Levels.
It features exhibits relating to Willow
growing and processing and basket-making and includes a video room describing willow growing and basket making; a basket museum with displays of traditional and unusual willow artefacts; the Levels and Moors Exhibition describing the history of the local countryside and it's links with this traditional industry; and an environmental interpretation display highlighting the importance of water in shaping the Somerset Levels.
The centre is run and owned by the Coate family who have been growing willow on the Somerset Levels since 1819, and was opened by David Bellamy
in 1987. Particular efforts have been made to ensure the museum is accessible to those with visual and mobility impairments.
Guided tours are available but visitors are free to wander through the fields along the banks of the River Tone
. Close to one of the paths is a wooden carved sculpture by Louise Baker celebrating the importance of the willow in the industry of the Levels
Stoke St Gregory
Stoke St Gregory is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The parish has a population of 920, and includes the hamlet of Stathe.-History:...
, on the Somerset levels
Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels, or the Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly known, is a sparsely populated coastal plain and wetland area of central Somerset, South West England, between the Quantock and Mendip Hills...
, north east of Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
. The centre offers tours of over 80 acre (0.125000110521743 sq mi) of withies, willow yards and basket workshops and explains the place of willow in the history of the Levels.
It features exhibits relating to Willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
growing and processing and basket-making and includes a video room describing willow growing and basket making; a basket museum with displays of traditional and unusual willow artefacts; the Levels and Moors Exhibition describing the history of the local countryside and it's links with this traditional industry; and an environmental interpretation display highlighting the importance of water in shaping the Somerset Levels.
The centre is run and owned by the Coate family who have been growing willow on the Somerset Levels since 1819, and was opened by David Bellamy
David Bellamy
David James Bellamy OBE is a British author, broadcaster, environmental campaigner and botanist. He has lived in County Durham since 1960.-Career:...
in 1987. Particular efforts have been made to ensure the museum is accessible to those with visual and mobility impairments.
Guided tours are available but visitors are free to wander through the fields along the banks of the River Tone
River Tone
The River Tone is a river in Somerset, England, which is about long. It rises at Beverton Pond near Huish Champflower in the Brendon Hills, and is dammed at Clatworthy Reservoir. The reservoir outfall continues through Taunton and Curry and Hay Moors, which are designated as a Site of Special...
. Close to one of the paths is a wooden carved sculpture by Louise Baker celebrating the importance of the willow in the industry of the Levels