A Life Lived by the Sea
Nigel Legge is an artist, craftsman and one of the last fishermen still making traditional withy lobster pots. He crafts the pots from withies of willow that are grown in a woodland owned by the son of the father who Nigel’s father got his willow from. It was Nigel’s father who taught him the art of withy pot making. Back then, when Nigel was just 15, it wasn’t considered an art form but instead a necessity. “If you didn’t make pots, you couldn’t go fishing”, Nigel chuckles in a melodic and welcoming Cornish accent.
Wicker baskets stacked outside Leggy's Studio with a yellow wooden wall background.
Man sitting in an art studio holding a wicker basket, surrounded by maritime paintings and woven crafts.
Person using a knife to cut willow branches for basket weaving
Bodger's tool with wooden handle for splitting wood, on canvas with thin wooden rods.
Interior with paintings of sailboats, wicker lobster pot on a wooden bench, and a wooden stool.
Person weaving a traditional lobster pot with natural materials, using a hand tool for trimming.
Elderly man weaving a traditional lobster pot in a workshop with a surfboard overhead.
Orange fishing boat navigating rocky coastal waters with steep cliffs in the background.
Person weaving a wicker lobster pot, wearing blue jeans and leather shoes.
Man smiling while leaning on the yellow doorway of a building labeled "Nigel Legge Fisherman/Artist."
Close-up of woven wicker basket top with intricate pattern
Two knives on a wooden workbench with round wooden blocks.
Sign showing "Total Number of Lives Saved by the Cadgwith Life-Boats: 390" with a nautical painting below.
Hands weaving a wicker basket with pruning shears
Person weaving a wicker basket, wearing blue jeans and brown shoes, sitting on a rough surface with scattered twigs.
Coastal artwork display with various paintings of sailboats on the sea, including framed and unframed pieces, arranged on a wooden shelf against a white wall.
