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Bid to save 'critically-endangered' trug industry

Hsin-Yi Lo
BBC News, South East
Robin Tuppen Fresh flowers placed in a trug on an area of grass. Robin Tuppen
A trug is a shallow, wooden basket, traditionally used for carrying garden tools or produce

A campaign has been launched to save the Sussex trug making industry – a craft that is "critically endangered", according to one trader.

A trug is a shallow, wooden basket, traditionally used for carrying garden tools or produce.

Robin Tuppen, who owns the Sussex Trug Heritage Centre in Herstmonceux, said: "Due to cheaper imports of trugs, lack of interest from people and trugs being seen as a luxury item, this has badly affected our industry."

He has set up a crowdfunding target of £50,000 to expand the centre to "safeguard" the craft for future generations.

Leanne Rinne/BBC A man with grey hair, glasses and wearing a dark blue jumper. He is standing in front of a table full of wood craft tools.Leanne Rinne/BBC
Robin Tuppen has devoted 42 years to promoting the craft of trug making

"The funds will go towards launching educational programmes. We aim to hire trainers to teach trug-making and run workshops such as wooden spoon carving and basket-making," he said.

"We also need to equip our workshop with new equipment and restore traditional tools for apprentice training."

Leanne Rinne/BBC A man and a woman in a workshop making Sussex trugs.Leanne Rinne/BBC
A trug is a wooden basket, traditionally used for carrying garden tools or produce

The creator of the Sussex trug was Thomas Smith, from Herstmonceux.

The history of trugs goes back to the Anglo-Saxon era and it was originally made out of solid wood.

Mr Smith modified the original trugs by making them out of lighter wood such as sweet chestnut or cricket bat willow to make them easier to transform or carry.

When Mr Smith went to the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, Queen Victoria was reportedly so impressed with his trugs that she purchased some from him personally, Mr Tuppen said.

Mr Tuppen, who has devoted 42 years to promoting the craft, said he had sold to high-profile customers including Meryl Streep and the royal estate at Windsor Castle.

He added it was now "time to fight back" and save the industry.

Leanne Rinne/BBC A man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a red jumper and sitting on a wooden table. He is sitting inside a workshop and there is a hammer, screwdriver and a set of pliers next to him.Leanne Rinne/BBC
Max Parks has been learning trug-making for nearly six months

Max Parks, 28, has been learning trug-making for nearly six months at the heritage centre.

He said while he was job seeking, he came across the craft.

"I like traditional crafts, so I thought I should give it a go," he said.

"Sadly this trade is dying and I hate to see that. I think it's important to carry on history and traditions, so I really encourage young people to take up this craft."

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