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(Adapted from Paddling Into Our Past, published in Best Of British)
click on images for detail
 Of
all the British Watercraft, the coracle has to be the oldest and, for me,
the most evocative. It is a reminder of times past when man lived closer
to the natural world and the gentler rhythms of time, tide and the circle
of the seasons. The coracle is a craft with a truly ancient lineage having
been in existence in various forms since the late Stone Age. Constructed
from locally sourced small diameter roundwood, the coracle has been the
craft of choice when man needed to take to the water in a highly manoeuvrable
boat that was also easily transportable over land.
Teifi coracle and Blaven, Isle Of Skye. Note eel hive
 Originally
the coracle was primarily used for water transport though in more recent
centuries its use in Britain has been mostly associated with salmon and
sea trout netting in Wales, principally on the rivers Teifi and Towy. Here
the trawling takes place with nets towed between pairs of coracles although
far fewer coracles now operate. Other Welsh rivers too have seen coracle
usage for both netting and angling until fairly recently.
Afloat in Teifi coracle, Wells Harbour, Norfolk
My own involvement in coracle making did not begin until my early twenties,
primarily during bushcraft activities in the Scottish Highlands and also
on the River Witham in Lincolnshire.
 After
some experimentation with primitive bowl coracles which I found to be heavy
and unstable I turned to the construction methods of the coracle craftsmen
of rural Wales whose art I have the deepest respect for.
Here I was greatly assisted by master coraclemaker Ronnie Davies of Cenarth,
who along with Bernard Thomas of Llechryd, is one of the last of the truly
traditional coracle craftsmen of the Teifi valley and indeed in Britain.
Meeting Ronnie was a major breakthrough and set me on the journey to becoming
a coracle craftsman myself.
Teifi coracle frame and completed coracle
 One
of my earliest attempts at what I regard as a proper traditional working
coracle was a coracle based on the Teifi coracle and the Wye truckle. This
large capacity coracle became the Witham coracle and in 1998 it was baptised
by being navigated 70 miles along the Afon Teifi in spate from source to
sea with the help of Ronnie and a friend from Lincoln. This proved to be
a very dangerous undertaking with recent heavy rains turning the river into
a swirling madmans paradise of rocks, whirlpools, flooded fields and broken
tree limbs. This epic voyage not only proved the strength and stability
of the Witham coracle which reached the sea unscathed but also raised £1321
for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
Afloat in a Witham coracle
 From
the following winter I began to concentrate more on building the Teifi coracle
which of the surviving ancestral coracle types is unique in that it still
relies on the ancient skills of the basket maker and coppice woodsman. Materials
for the coracle are still harvested from the surrounding woods and riverbanks
and worked with simple hand tools in the time honoured way. This is a time
consuming and skilled process that in my view sets both the Teifi and Witham
coracles apart from other types stapled and nailed together from sawn laths
more quickly and cheaply elsewhere.
Teifi coracle in use for sea angling
 The
floor of both the Teifi and Witham coracles consist of laths produced from
willow poles sustainably harvested from the coppice stool or pollard during
the winter months when the sap is down. This minimises disturbance to wildlife
and enables the best possible materials to be obtained for the coracle whilst
leaving the cut stool or stump ready to start producing the next
crop of poles in the spring.
James afloat in a Teifi coracle
 Once
cut, the poles are cleft using a billhook or a riving axe to produce laths
that are finished on the shaving horse using a drawknife. The laths are
worked up following the grain to produce the strongest laths possible
as the grain is left largely intact, something not possible with sawn laths.
The rim or gunwale of the coracle is fashioned from finger thick peeled
hazel rods, again harvested from the coppice in the dormant months.
Finished coracle laths on shaving horse
 The
coracle is assembled after the materials are soaked to make them pliable.
Once removed from the water it is a race against time to complete the coracle
framework, four hours being a typical build. Both the Teifi and Witham coracles
are constructed around the thwart which incorporates a nine railed bulkhead
that also serves as a carrying compartment for equipment whilst the coracle
is backslung during portage.
Once completed, several days are needed for the framework to dry out enough
to allow coating with a preservative.
Hot tarring a Teifi coracle
 The
paddle used to propel the coracle over the prow with various figure of eight
type strokes is made traditionally from solid ash, split from the log and
worked into shape with the side axe and drawknife.
Both the Teifi and Witham paddles incorporate a claw on top of the
shaft which helps grip the paddle when in use and also aids carrying the
coracle in conjunction with the carrying strap or gweden of twisted
withies, leather or canvas inserted through the thwart.
Witham coracle frame, Teifi coracle and eel hives
 For
the past two centuries or so, coracles have been covered with tarred fabric
of some kind, most typically flannel, canvas or calico.
Earlier coracles used leather or animal hides to provide a waterproof but
heavy covering for a coracle, which lead to the old Welsh adage of, "A mans
load is his coracle". Generally, I use a thick canvas waterproofed with
bitumen and linseed oil wired to the gunwale for my own boats as this gives
good tough performance.
Carrying the coracle, Loch Shiel
 The
Teifi coracle is a true working boat being light, stable and compact but
with sufficient room to carry fish, nets and other equipment. The Witham
coracle has increased capacity for carrying eel grigs and hives. Both the
Teifi and Witham coracles can fit inside most decent sized hatchback or
estate cars. My own coracles see personal use in coastal creeks for netting
various sea fish as well as for angling, eel fishing, nature observation
and bushcraft applications. I also demonstrate coracle making at country
shows and other public events.
My personal Teifi coracle in transit
 Regardless
of the purpose for which the coracle is used however, paddling such a craft
on the water is a unique experience, a return to a more fulfilling simplicity
forgotten by the modern world and a direct pathway to the heart of nature.
Teifi coracle beside a very misty Loch Ness
Note:- Whilst I can supply completed Witham and Teifi coracles to order
or put interested persons in contact with ancestral Teifi coracle makers
in Wales, I regret that due to the time consuming and skilled nature of
traditional coracle making, I am unable to offer practicable coracle making
courses.
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