Traditional stick dressing thriving in Berkshire and North Hants

Traditional country crafts are alive and well in Berkshire and North Hampshire.

Calleva Stick Dressers is a thriving group of amateur crafts people dedicated to the preservation of the craft of making decorative tops for walking sticks of different types using natural materials.

At the end of last year the club held its annual competition in memory of a former club member Richard Cannings.

Members exhibited a stick that they had made that year. The winner was Tim Elliott from Hartley Wintney with a carved market stick with scroll and thistle in beautifully grained maple on a hazel shank.

Tim said: “It’s a great honour to win the Memorial trophy, especially with such a high standard of sticks in the competition. I like the traditional style of this type of crook and I’m pleased with the detail I managed to carve into the thistle.

The judge was Ian Nichol from Basingstoke, who is a well-known wood carver and wood worker, who has previously judged British Woodcarvers Association competitions.

He said: “It was a difficult task as the standard was so high and there was a wide range of styles. I chose the market stick as it was very well carved in a traditional style and was beautifully finished.”

After the presentation, Ian gave a talk about his personal journey with carving, including his study of the works of the 17th-century wood carver Grinling Gibbons, known as the King’s carver as he worked for Charles II in several Royal Palaces.

Locally, some of his carvings are in the hall of the Thames Valley Police College at Sulhamstead.

Club chairman David Taylor said: “The standard of entries in this year’s competition was impressive and shows the range of skills that our members preserve.

“We are always keen to attract new members, especially younger ones. Anyone with an interest in woodwork or carving is most welcome to come along to one of our monthly workdays at Beenham village hall, on the third Saturday of each month.

“Our members will provide tuition, advice and even supply some materials to get newcomers started with this rewarding craft.”

Calleva Stick Dressers was formed in the early 1990s with more than 50 members drawn from Berkshire, Hampshire, south Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Sussex.

The name Calleva comes from the Roman settlement at Silchester (Calleva Atrebatum) which is central to the area from which members come.

The club promotes the craft of stick dressing, making walking sticks, crooks and thumb-sticks etc.

Members work with a range of materials such as wood, ram’s horn, black buffalo horn and stick shanks include those cut from hazel, blackthorn, ash and sweet chestnut trees.

Visit www.callevastickdressers.org.uk for more information on Calleva Stick Dressers