Explore the rich history of sailmaking in the Coker villages of Somerset
by Graffeg 27 Jul 2024 09:30 UTC
Explore the rich history of sailmaking in the Coker villages of Somerset © Graffeg
From humble beginnings in the small Somerset settlement of East Coker, an international brand of sailing cloth was born, the Coker Canvas.
A born and bred East Coker resident, Terry Stevens, tells the fascinating story of how the Coker Canvas was made, how it became a global sailing phenomenon and the impact this had on the villagers and still has to this day.
Still being made today, the Coker Canvas has been used in sails for over three hundred years on some of the world's most famous admirals, explorers, buccaneers, and aristocrats captained ships and luxury yachts. The Coker Canvas was so highly regarded that it became the quality standard for the British Navy and for yachts taking part in the early years of the America's Cup.
This engaging and thought-provoking book tells this incredible story and is written in a lively, accessible style, enlivened by quotations from contemporary sources, poetry and the memories of ordinary Coker people.
Along with Terry's brilliantly crafted text, the book also contains over 100 images helping to bring the story to life. Accompanying the impressive text and visuals, there is also a foreword by Jim Hartley, CEO of Ratsey and Lapthorne, the world's oldest sailmakers who still use the Coker Canvas in some of their sails. The book has already received great reviews from a number of historians in the field including Dr Alan Sandry of Swansea University and Bill Jones, Emeritus Professor of History at Cardiff University.
Dr Alan Sandry says, 'This publication includes everything you need to know about these remarkable villages and their global history, from pirates to poets.'
Bill Jones says, 'Reading this book is a revelation. Bucked in the Yarn is an absorbing human-interest story, a tale of innovation, enterprise, fallibility, intrigue, controversy, endurance, determination and local pride'.
Ross Aitken, the chairman of the Coker Rope and Sail Charities says, 'The importance of this book is that it puts into context the great importance of Coker Canvas - a global brand spawned from these small villages in South Somerset, some 20 miles from the sea - villages that saw great scandals and are the focus of a story full of intrigue, controversy and international impact.'