Masterclass from a coracle Oracle

For retired plumber’s merchant, Dave Purvis, messing about on and in boats has become a real labour of love and he spends hours in his workshop building coracles, which were once a familiar feature of ancient Britain’s waterways, but these days are a rare sight.

Mr Purvis, of Ripon, is one of the nation’s few remaining coracle builders.

Studying and making the ancient design, originally made from wood and animal hide, has become a real passion for Mr Purvis.

Now he is preparing to join scores of other craftspeople on Sunday at the ninth Guisborough Forest Festival in the North York Moors, the region’s biggest woodland event which demonstrates that old skills are alive and kicking.

His interest in coracles came about accidentally when, at his wife’s behest, he applied to join a bow makers’ course.

He was told it was full, but there were vacancies to learn how to make the little boats.

The rest is history and he is now one of a handful of people throughout the country keeping the old tradition alive.

The tiny vessels are still used on three Welsh rivers by fishermen but their use elsewhere has dwindled over time.

Records indicate that coracles were last employed on the waterways of Yorkshire in the 18th century.

Mr Purvis said: “There are 11,000 year old cave paintings showing coracles, so it’s a 
design that has stood the test of time.”

He lovingly creates the craft in his workshop, surrounded by the wood and other materials he needs to get his boats ship-
shape and ready for life on the water.

He then takes them out on Ripon Canal to test them, clambering on board and using a single paddle to steer himself.

It takes him two days to fabricate one of the mini-vessels using ash, which is relatively easy to bend to shape, and bitumen to keep the fabric covering taut and water-tight.

Historically, coracles would have been used by fishermen and hunters to navigate swampy areas because they were durable and manoeuvrable.

Lightweight and portable, they could be carried on the backs of fishermen.

These days they can still be seen as regular working boats for fishing or to get people about in many countries including Vietnam, Tibet, India, Iraq and China.

Mr Purvis added: “My grandson Euan has also got the coracle bug and it’s something we love doing together.

“I’ve sold quite a few over the years, but these days I prefer teaching.”

“We are also involved in testing bigger ancient craft such as a six-seater curragh [a plank-built rowing boat]and plan to row one 150 miles down the River Wye later this year,” he added.

Mr Purvis is part of a thriving group of talented craftspeople in North Yorkshire, also including rope and bow makers and dry stone wallers who are taking part in the Guisborough Forest Festival.

Organisers from the Forestry Commission, Friends of Guisborough Forest and Walkway and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council say the event will showcase the talents of over 100 participants, also including artists, musicians and wildlife experts.

More than 3,500 people are expected at the festival, staged in the foothills of the North York Moors.

Mr Purvis will be joined by bushcraft experts, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, willow weavers, whittlers, charcoal makers, organic foodies, circus acts and wildlife fans, who bring along birds of prey.

Meanwhile, trees will 
echo to the beat of percussion with African dance 
workshops.

Cath Bashforth, Forestry Commission ranger, added: “There are lots of opportunities to get involved with plenty of hands-on attractions.”

For further details log on to www.forestry.gov.uk/yorkshireandthehumber.