About coracles :: About The Coracle Society :: Building and padding coracles

The Coracle Society - about and a brief history

Photo © PW Jones

About The Coracle Society

The Coracle Society is a UK based organisation set up with the aims of:

• promoting the knowledge of coracles, curraghs and allied craft, their making and use, and also their study and collection;
• taking all reasonable steps to support the
  continuance of fishing involving the use of coracles and to encourage the holding of coracle regattas, races and the like;
• publishing a newsletter as a means of communication between all those interested in coracles;
  using its best endeavours to obtain supplies of materials for the construction of coracles; and
• promoting demonstrations, courses, exhibitions, discussions and lectures relating to coracles

The Society is run and funded by its members, who come from a variety of backgrounds - some build or use coracles for a living, some actively demonstrate the art of coracling, and some simply have an interest in the craft and its heritage.

 

In recent years coracles have had a revival, partly thanks to the hard work of The Coracle Society and its members, in particular the founder and current president, Sir Peter Badge. But there are many other coraclers around the UK who may not be members, but work hard to inform the masses about coracles and their heritage. Recent television coverage has featured the craft in a variety of ways, be it a transportation vessel for use as part of a competition (BBC 'Drop Zone') or looking at the ancient construction techniques (BBC 'Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections'). The hard work of the coracle community has not gone unnoticed, with Raymond Rees - one of the most known coraclers in the UK - being honoured in the 2011 New Years Honours with an MBE for 'services to Coracle Heritage and inland water fishing in Wales.'

 

A brief history of The Coracle Society

Coracles are small, keel-less boats, traditionally made as a basketwork frame, covered with an animal hide. There is evidence in cave paintings of them being in use from the early Bronze Age, and perhaps as far back as the Ice Age.

Modern coracles tend to be built nowadays with sawn or hand-clefted laths and covered with canvas or calico, or synthetic fabric and waterproofed with pitch or bitumen paint. They can still be seen as regular working boats for transportation or fishing in many countries including Vietnam, Tibet, India, Iraq and China.

In south west Wales, net fishing from coracles is increasingly under threat, and is now restricted to three rivers in west Wales. However, coracles are still to be found on the River Severn and large, sea-going versions (curraghs) are still in use on the west coast of Ireland.

Since the formation of The Coracle Society in 1990, interest in coracles and coracle building has undergone something of a revival, with enthusiasts around the world enjoying the delights of these simple, little craft