Spotlight - 10.2019

(coco) #1

ARTISANS 10/2019 Spotlight 21


M


ike Rowland and
his son Greg are
traditional wheel-
wrights and coach-
builders in Coly-
ton, Devon. A wheelwright makes and
repairs wooden wheels for carts and
wagons, using methods that are about
2,000 years old. Mike Rowland, who
started the company in 1964, is 82 years
old and still working. “It’s just what
you do in the heritage crafts: you have
to keep it all going,” his son Greg told
Spotlight.
The Rowlands’ work is extremely
varied. The projects on their to-do list
include a new brewer’s dray, a tradition-
al farm wagon, a travelling showman’s
caravan and a large cannon for Castelo
de São Jorge in Lisbon. “When I see that
up on the ramparts, looking out over Lis-
bon, that’s the kind of thing that makes it
worthwhile,” said Greg.
Greg Rowland first trained as a me-
chanic and blacksmith, and when he left

the army in 1991, he set up his forge next
to his father’s workshop. “I never planned
to be a wheelwright, because I was al-
ways more interested in the metal side of
things,” he said. Soon, however, he began
working with wood, too: “You have to use
both in this trade, because the wood and
the steel go together all the time. You have
to work together so closely.”
The master wheelwrights also carry out
restoration work on royal carriages and
have a royal warrant. “When you work on
those, you’ve got a huge amount of histo-
ry in your hands, and there’s quite an onus
on you to get it right. It can be a bit scary
sometimes,” said Greg.
Although the Rowlands have plenty
of work, Greg explained how important
it is to be on the lookout for new areas of
activity. Recently, they have been mak-
ing traditional market barrows — two-
wheeled handcarts for street vendors.
“So if you ever go to Covent Garden,
you’ll see our carts and wagons there,”
said Greg.

barrow [(bÄrEU]
, Karren, Schubkarre
blacksmith [(blÄksmIT]
, Eisenschmied
brewer’s dray
[(bru:Ez dreI]
, Bierkutsche
cart [kA:t]
, Wagen, Karren

coachbuilder
[(kEUtS)bIldE]
, Kutschenbauer(in)
forge [fO:dZ]
, Schmiede
handcart [(hÄndkA:t]
, Handwagen
heritage craft
[(herItIdZ krA:ft]
, Traditionshandwerk

onus [(EUnEs]
, Verpflichtung, Bürde
rampart [(rÄmpA:t]
, Wallanlage, Festungs-
wall
royal warrant
[)rOIEl (wQrEnt]
, königliche Urkunde für
Hoflieferanten

vendor [(vendE]
, Verkäufer
wagon [(wÄgEn]
, Stellwagen, Fuhrwagen
wheelwright [(wi:&lraIt]
, Radmacher(in),
Stellmacher(in)

ARTISANS


The wheelwrights


Auf diesen Seiten stellen wir Ihnen Handwerksmeister und Kunsthandwerker
aus der englischsprachigen Welt vor. Diesmal hat sich DAGMAR TAYLOR
mit dem Radmacher Greg Rowland unterhalten.

MEDIUM
Free download pdf