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A brief history of coracles

Peter Faulkner and Peter Badge on the waterCoracles 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.

For more information on the history of traditional coracles, please visit the excellent resources on Conwy's Coracles (link will open in a new window. The Coracle Society accept no responsibility for the content of third party websites.)

 

The Inland Waterways Association - Corporate Member
The Coracle Society is a Corporate Member of The Inland Waterways Association