The Woodee Log Trolley

Beautifully designed and handmade in Herefordshire by traditional craftspeople to carry and hold logs from your woodpile to the hearth. Our sturdy and stylish Log Trolley is unique and a stunning piece of rural furniture to grace your hearth.

Each Woodee basket is the marriage of a hand forged metal frame to Herefordshire Willow.  Our Blacksmith Steve Lloyd hand forges each frame in his Herefordshire forge. Before making the metal frame yield to a bend, he will forge two rope twists, one on either side of the handle.   This hand forged frame runs the length of the handle to the base, giving stability and strength.   The forged hooped base offers a strong platform and a large capacity for logs. 

To protect the metal, Herefordshire Bees Wax polish is worked into the frame.  The metal takes on a lovely patination.

The Log Trolley is then sent to our master basket maker Jenny Crisp. Using only one year old willow, generally a mixture of two indigenous varieties of ‘Purpurea’ Willow – ‘Dicky Meadows’ and ‘Jagiellonka’, Jenny soaks it for a week outside her workshop in a cold water trough.  Willow has a short shelf life in this state and it becomes a very time sensitive process.  Keeping the material in the right condition to weave is paramount. The balance of moisture in the willow is the key – too dry and it will be brittle and crack, unworked wet willow will go mouldy.  Jenny has over 30 years of experience making baskets, and it shows in the straightness and uniformity across the basket.  The result is contemporary and stylish.  

The Willow will keep its colour unless it is exposed to extended periods of sunlight – in a conservatory for example.  When not in use for long periods, you can care for it by leaving it in a damp environment to re balance the moisture content. 

Next the Trolley travels to another corner of Herefordshire to be united with its wheels.  They are a beautiful piece of engineering.  Made by local engineer John Ferguson, they are born out of tubular and reclaimed steel.  John welds up and finishes each wheel, with a bearing at the centre for a smooth ride. This is then welded, very carefully, to the frame.

Finally the front stopper is made by Traditional Joiner, David Malone.  Made from seasoned Herefordshire Oak, this stabilises the stationary Log Trolley.

Dimensions:

• Overall Height - 960mm (approx)
• Basket Height - 560mm
• Basket Depth - 400mm
• Basket Width - 480mm

 We make only a handful of these each year and each is unique in colour and weave.

Now available to purchase through clearpay.