Red List Comment Submission

Commenting on: Spar making

Section one - About you

Name

Are you willing for your name to appear on the website as a reviewer?

Yes please
No thanks

What is your reason for contacting us?

What is your interest or experience in this craft?

Do you have any suitable images or photos to support your entry?

No I don't
Yes, please contact me about them

Please give more details of your interest or experience of this craft and any organisations, guilds or associations that you are representing.

Section two - Description of the craft

Are you commenting on an existing craft?

If you are commenting on an existing craft, please select it here and skip the next two questions

You are suggesting a new craft that is not already featured on the Red List

Please enter the name of the craft you would like us to add here.

Craft category

If this is a new craft type please select the most suitable category

Please give a definition of the craft in one or two sentences.

Where in the world is the craft historically associated?

Please identify country, region, county or town

Where in the UK is the craft currently practised?

Please identify country, region, county or town

When was the craft first practised in the UK?

Please identify an era/century/approximate historic period.

How endangered would you say this craft is?

Heritage Crafts uses a system of four categories of risk to assess the viability of heritage crafts. A heritage craft is considered to be viable if there are sufficient craftspeople to transmit the craft skills to the next generation. For more information on definitions see http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/

Currently Viable (are in a healthy state and skills are being passed to the next generation)
Endangered (skills can be passed on but there are serious concerns about their ongoing viability)
Critically Endangered (there is serious risk that skills won't be passed on)
Extinct ( ‘extirpated’ or ‘locally extinct’ in the UK)

Section three - Current numbers of those practising the craft in the UK

Number of professional makers (main income)

People earning their main craft income from this craft (selling, commissions, conservation/ restoration and/or teaching).

Number of professional makers (part-time or side line to main income)

People practicing this craft commercially (selling, commissions, conservation/restoration and/or teaching) but as less than half of their income.

Number of trainees

People acquiring skills in order to become a professional in this craft, they probably have to work under supervision even if they are earning money while training.

Number of serious amateur makers

People whose knowledge and ability is at a level of the most skilled practitioners of this craft.

Number of UK leisure makers and learners

People who do not intend to practice this craft professionally or at the highest level.

Section four - Issues affecting the viability of the craft

Existing content:

Supply of raw materials: Decline in the demand for spars due to imports led to a decline in the active management of coppiced woodland. Hazel spars and liggers are often replaced by steel, wire or plastic fixings. There is also a dire shortage of straw, so stocks of long straw and combed straw will run out before next year’s harvest and therefore the demand for spars will also decrease.
Decline in skills: Competition from imported spars led to a rapid decline in the number of spar makers in the UK.
Market issues: Whilst demand is increasing, there may not be a sufficient supply of good quality coppiced hazel to meet demand.
Training issues: There is a lack of training for coppice workers to make spars.
Market issues: Established relationships between thatchers and coppice workers have been broken and some thatchers are not able to secure a reliable supply.
Small business issues: It is difficult to make a viable income solely from making spars.

Training and recruitment issues

e.g. lack of qualifications, funding for training etc.

Tick for yes